ABHISHEK SHINES AS UPCA IN ATRAY CRICKET SEMIS

LUCKNOW: An unbeaten century stand for the second-wicket between opener Abhishek Goswami and skipper Karan Sharma helped favourites UP Cricket Association (UPCA) enter semi-finals of the JP Atray Memorial Cricket Tournament for Trident Cup, defeating Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by nine wickets Chandigarh on Thursday.

Goswami smacked 74-ball 93 with the help of seven fours and equal number of sixes, whereas Sharma struck 44 in 52 balls with the help of five fours as the two added 127-run for the second-wicket to take the side home in 22.3 overs while chasing 152 in 26 overs in a rain truncated tie, at the GMMS Sector 26. UPCA lost the only wicket of Madhav Kaushik (6), who was caught by Chirag Parmar off Ankit Rajpoot in the innings fifth over.

Earlier, UPCA won the toss and opted to field and restricted RBI Mumbai to 151/9 in 26 overs. For UPCA, left-arm orthodox bowler Shivam Sharma remained the most successful bowler, bagging 4/21, whereas Akshdeep Nath finished with 2/7.

AITA SERIES

In all UP affair it’s going to be Sakhi Mishra vs Shakti Mishra in the girls singles final of the AITA Under-18 Championship Series at the Unnad Tennis Academy here. In the semi-finals on Thursday, Sakshi defeated Saasa Katiyar 7-6 (4), 6-1 in a thriller, whereas Shakti beat Arohie Panwar 7-6 (5), 6-3. In the boys final, Delhi’s Lakshay Chugh will lock horns Anshuman Singh. Chugh beat Kartikey Tyagi 6-2, 6-3, whereas Anshuman outplayed Shourya Singh 6-2, 6-3.