The might of the Mumbai batting line-up was on full display as the side outclassed Vidarbha by six wickets in the quarterfinal of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Alur Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a formidable 222, Mumbai got the perfect start as openers Prithvi Shaw (49, 26b, 5×4, 4×6) and Ajinkya Rahane (84, 45b, 10×4, 3×6) put on an 83-run stand in seven overs.
Rahane kept the score moving at a fast clip after Shaw returned to the hut. As the required rate started to climb, Shivam Dube (37 n.o., 22b, 1×4, 2×6) and Suryansh Shedge (36 n.o.,12b, 1×4, 4×6) got together for a match-winning unbroken fifth-wicket partnership.
Mumbai will take on Baroda in the first semifinal on Friday. Baroda recorded a comfortable 41-run win over Bengal at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Shashwat Rawat (40) and Abhimanyu Singh (37) took Baroda to a handy 172 for seven. Bengal’s chase was derailed early, as left-arm pacer Lukman Meriwala scalped three wickets in the fourth over.
Shahbaz Ahmed (55, 36b, 3×4, 4×6) tried to keep Bengal in the hunt, but it was too little too late.
Bengal pacer Mohammed Shami had a lacklustre day, conceding 43 runs in his four overs. Shami made partial amends by bowling zippy yorkers in the death, and picked up two wickets.
Bengal’s Mohammed Shami.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
Bengal’s Mohammed Shami.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
There was disappointment in store for fans of the Pandya brothers who turned up at the stadium, as Hardik and Krunal fell for 10 and 7 respectively.
In another last-eight fixture, Anuj Rawat (73 n.o., 33b, 7×4, 5×6) came alive to power Delhi past Uttar Pradesh. Batting at four, Rawat feasted on short deliveries, swivelling neatly to loft the ball behind square.
In the second semifinal, Delhi will take on Madhya Pradesh, which dispatched Saurashtra by six wickets.
The scores:
At Alur grounds:
Saurashtra 173/7 in 20 overs (Chirag Jani 80 n.o.) lost to Madhya Pradesh 174/4 in 19.2 overs (Arpit Gaud 42, Venkatesh Iyer 38 n.o., Rajat Patidar 28).
Vidarbha 221/6 in 20 overs (Atharva Taide 66, Apoorv Wankhade 51, Shubham Dubey 43 n.o.) lost to Mumbai 224/4 in 19.2 overs (Prithvi Shaw 49, Ajinkya Rahane 84, Shivam Dube 37 n.o., Suryansh Shedge 36 n.o.).
At M. Chinnaswamy Stadium:
Baroda 172/7 in 20 overs (Shashwat Rawat 40, Abhimanyu Singh 37) bt Bengal 131 in 18 overs (Shahbaz Ahmed 55, Lukman Meriwala 3/17, Atit Sheth 3/41).
Delhi 193/3 in 20 overs (Priyansh Arya 44, Yash Dhull 42, Anuj Rawat 73 n.o.) bt Uttar Pradesh 174 in 20 overs (Priyam Garg 54, Prince Yadav 3/36).