Brief
Scores
Opto: 7 / 163 in 20 overs
Sohail Rauf 47 (40)
Ravi
Chauhan 35 (21)
Ashish
31 (26)
Rohan
3/26 (4)
Anuj
Meena 3/27 (4)
Indoasian: 131 all out in 18.4 overs
Deepak Sharma 47 (28)
Ashish
32 (42)
Varun
Anand 3/31 (4)
Prashant
1/12 (3)
Man of
the Match: Sohail
Rauf (Opto)
Best
Performer Indoasian: Anuj Meena
JOSH
TALKS Impact Performer: Deepak
Sharma
Opto
Come Out Trump in Heavyweight Battle
These are two well known sides in Delhi’s corporate cricket
circle, and we were really looking forward to this contest. Indoasian won the
toss and gave their bowlers first go on the morning track. Mohit and Rohan,
both lively seamers who know how to land the ball in good areas, immediately
hit their zone. Ishneet, nonetheless, opened out a boundary from each end
before becoming Rohan’s first victim in the 4th over, caught and
bowled off a top edged pull.
Sohail
and Ravi Give Opto Solid Start
 |
| Captain Ishneet accepts MoM award on behalf of Sohail |
Ravi joined opener Sohail and the two proceeded to put together
the best partnership of the innings. Ravi, particularly, looked in excellent
touch. He glanced his second ball for four, before pegging Rohan back once
again in the 6th with an exquisite straight drive along the turf and
a flick for six. Driving the partnership forward with serious intent, they both
found the ropes in the 9th, first Sohail with a classic late cut,
then Ravi with a backfoot punch followed by a cover drive.
Just as it began to seem like Ravi’s would be the big innings of
the day, his time in the middle was cut short abruptly by a stroke of bad luck
on the last ball of the 10th over. Sohail smacked a straight drive
back to off-spinner Deepak and the ball ricocheted off his fingers into the
stumps at the non-striker’s end, running out Ravi for 35. At 80 / 2, this bit
of fortune brought the game back in the balance for Indoasian.
Off
spinner Anuj Meena Keeps Opto in Check
Sohail, however, continued working the ball around for singles
and putting the occasional bad balls away till his excellent knock of 47 was
wrapped up by off-spinner Anuj Meena, trapped LBW. At 116/3 in the 15th,
Opto had the launch pad for a late innings blitz, but the Indoasian bowlers
held their nerve.
Anuj clean bowled Varun four balls later, before removing the
dangerous Gagan Sodi in the 17th. Ashish played a lone hand towards
the end, till he was the 6th batsman dismissed, caught by Ajay off
the bowling of Rohan for a well compiled 31.
 |
| Anuj Meena, the Best Performer for Indoasian |
Opto would have closed out on a below par total, but for a
crucial last over onslaught by hard-hitting Ravi Dixit. He tonked seamer Hemant
for 3 off side boundaries in the 18-run over, to lift the total to a
respectable 163.
Seam Duo
Gagan and Ravi Leave Indoasaian Reeling
Indoasian would have hoped for a brisk and positive start, but
they were thrust back by the right and left arm pace duo of Gagan Sodi and Ravi
Dixit. The two skillful seamers bowled with pace and accuracy, typically
landing balls short of driving length along a tight off-stump line. Gagan
removed opener Ajay of a well-directed bouncer in the 1st over, as
the batsman flayed awkwardly, lifting a simple catch to Ravi at square leg.
Anuj was then clean bowled by Ravi off a blistering yorker in the 4th,
before Ashwini lifted a simple catch to cover in the same over to leave
Indoasian reeling at 10 / 3.
Deepak
and Ashish Lead Revival
 |
| Deepak was the JOSH TALKS Impact Performer of the day |
The innings could have turned to disaster, had Ishneet held on
to a simple skier lobbed by Ashish to mid on. Immediately after the reprieve,
however, Deepak Sharma injected some life into the Indoasian run chase,
slamming Ravi straight twice in the 6th, first a six then a
rocket-speed boundary. Both batsman found the square boundary off Gagan in the
next over, before off-spinner Ravi Chauhan was also forced to swallow the
frustration of a dropped catch. This time it was Deepak who got away, and he
emphasized the point with a sweep six and four off the next 2 balls. From their
last 10, Indoasian were left with 100 to chase, but they had momentum on their
side.
Deepak once again helped himself to a 4-6 combo in the 11th
bowled by off-spinner Varun Anand. However, before he could bring the game
decisively into his side’s lap, he was removed by lively seamer Prashant in the
12th. Playing an off stump ball across the line, he was caught by
Shankar at square leg. His short 28-ball knock had yielded 47, but his wicket
started a slide. Off-spinner Varun picked up 3 wickets, including opener
Ashish, to leave Indoasian reeling at 91 / 7.
Mohit and
Vishal Threaten to Disrupt Opto Party with Late Onslaught
 |
| Seamer Prashant bowled 3-0-12-1 |
Opto were warned against celebrating their victory prematurely
by a dangerously quick 39-run partnership between Mohit and Vishal that
included 3 big sixes and 16 off Ravi Dixit’s last over. The duo brought
interest back into the game, till with 34 needed from the last 2 overs, Shankar
affected a brilliant run out from backward point to send Mohit back into the
dugout, and close their spirited opposition’s last fight.
Opto opener Sohail Rauf was adjudged the Man of the Match for
his crucial contribution of 47. For Indoasian the Best Performer was off-spinner
Anuj Meena. Seamer Prashant won the chocolate for the most economical bowler
with his spell of 3 – 0 – 12 – 1, and Deepak Sharma walked away with the Josh
Talks Impact Performer award for his knock of 47.
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