India ‘B’ pip England to take the Plate
Indian opener Vivek Pandya in action - Pic by Ranjith Perera
While India ‘A’ lock horns with traditional rivals Pakistan in the Cup final at the SSC grounds, India ‘B’ scored a fighting 8-run victory over England Solicitors in the Plate Final of the 6th International Lawyers Cricket World Cup 2017 at Royal College Grounds, Reid Avenue yesterday.
Put into bat India ‘B’ started off with a bang, scoring 32 runs in three overs. Opener Ajay Shitale top scored with a lusty 90 off 56 deliveries and was associated in a 69-run 4th wicket partnership with Dnyneshnar Patil (42) scored off 22 balls including four sixes and two fours. India scored a healthy 195 for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
For England pacemen Dann Travin and Rob Jones bowled best to capture 2 for 14 and 2 for 29 respectively.
England openers maintaining the real English tradition took some time to settle and were involved in a fine partnership of 136 off 14 overs. Rob Jones and Kris Jadeja gave a fine display of batting making use of the loose deliveries sending them to the ropes and over were heading towards victory. But with the exit of Jadeja for 67 with ten fours and a six, Jones made a valiant effort of taking his team to victory but saw loosing wickets at the other end. With his exit at 167 other English batsmen failed to capitalise on the opening stand as none of the other batsmen fail to enter double figures.
Left-arm leg-spinner N. Srinivasan (1 for 24) and off spinner Kranthi Kumar (3 for 34) were the bowlers who controlled the free scoring English openers and were responsible for their dismissals. Medium fast bowler Ajay Shitale (2 for 38) took over from where the spinners left to restrict English Solicitors for 187 for 6 in 20 overs.
Chief Scores
India ‘B’ 195 for 6 (20) (Ajay Shitale 90, Vivek Pandya 19, Reddy Chandrasekera 19, Dnyneshwar Patil 42, Dann Travin 2 for 14, Rob Jones 2 for 29)
England Solicitors 187 for 6 (20) (Rob Jones 83, Kris Jadeja 67, K. Kumar 3 for 34, Ajay Shitale 2 for 38)
In the first semi-finals of the Cup segment India beat Australia ‘A’ by 130 runs at the Bloomfield Grounds while in the second semi-final host Sri Lanka ‘A’ lost to Pakistan on D/L method at Colts Grounds.