CRICKET / Presidents XI post respectable total in the second semifinal
Chipli leads KSCA charge
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The pattern of previous matches in the tournament so far on the Chinnaswamy decks -- low-scoring affairs with the side batting second emerging triumphant -- and ovrecast conditions might have prompted Hyderabad Cricket Association skipper D Vinay Kumar to invite Karnataka State Cricket Association XI to bat first upon winning the toss. But the host batsmen made mockery of his decision, running up a mammoth 466 for five from their quota of 100 overs on the opening day of the two-day semifinal in the KSCA all-India invitation tournament here on Saturday.
The pitch -- on which TNCA XI and ONGC squarred off with the latter squeezing in with a narrow win -- had little to offer for the bowlers. Though medium pacers MP Arjun, Kaushik Reddy, Alfred Absolom and left-arm spinner Indrashekar Reddy toiled hard through out the day, they earned precious little in exchange on an unresponsive track.
The batsmen were in no mood to let go the opportunity to feast on an attack rendered even more toothless on a batting beauty, as almost all those who had a chance to wield their willows got amongst runs, none so impressively than the opening duo of Bharath Chipli and KB Pawan.
Pedestrian
Watched in isolation, Pawan’s 92 (191b, 11x4, 1x6), it would seem, came at a decent pace. His partner Chipli, however, was so devastating that Pawan looked a mere pedestrian during their hugely productive combination at the top of the tree.
A whopping 298 runs came for the opening stand from mere 62.3 overs and Pawan had contributed mere 84 runs to it.
Chipli, who was let off in the early eighties, was the showstopper of the day punishing all the Hyderabad bowlers with utter disdain. His 189 (209b, 28x4, 3x6) was marked by full of audacious drives and fierce cuts sprinkled all over the park.
The stylish right-hander bludgeoned his way to hundred off 124 balls with the help of 15 fours and two sixes while the ramaining 89 came off mere 84 balls, including 13 fours and a six.
Tame dismissal
By the time the youngster was done with his destruction, offering a high return to catch to Reddy, the rival attack had been run ragged. Pawan, on the cusp of a well-deserved century, hung his bat outside the off-stump to offer an easy chance to Ibrahim Khaleel behind the stumps. It was a tame dismissal for a batsman so well set. Absolom earlier in the day had bowled better without any reward, but the pint-sized medium pacer was more than happy to see the back of another of their tormentors.
Deepak Chougule and C Raghu took their feet off the peddle for a while to provide some breather for the visitors. But the phase didn’t last long as Chougule (64, 115b, 10x4) went into cruise mode playing some exquisite strokes off his pad. Raghu was beginning to cut loose when a tentative prod at an uppish Arjun’s delivery went into straight into the hands of Khaleel.
The ordeal for the HCA bowlers, however, was far from over. Gaurav Dhiman joined in the run glut stroking his way to a quickfire half-century. The dashing all-rounder remained unbeaten on 65 off just 40 balls (11x4) to take the home side to a total from where, barring the unforseen, they can only eye victory.
President’s score 300
In another semifinal at the RSI ground, KSCA President’s XI managed to put on a fighting 300 for nine from 100 overs against Tamil Nadu Cricket Association XI.
Electing to bat first, most of the host batsmen were off to good starts but failed to convert them into substantial knocks to eventually settle for a much lesser total than they would have hoped to put on a against a strong rival like TNCA.
Sunil Raju was the top-scorer with a patient 66 (164b, 9x4, 1x6) while Devarj Patil (45, 63b, 8x4) and skipper Sudhindra Shinde (35, 57b, 4x4, 2x6) chiped in with cameos. Amit Verma (28), Ryan Ninan (23) and Mohd Arif (28) propped up the total.
For TNCA, the in-form medium pacer Tamil Kumaran, who has two five-wicket hauls in the tournament so far, was once again the pick of the bowlers returning a four for 49 haul. Off-spinner R Ashwin claimed three for 132.
KSCA President’s XI: 300/9 in 99.4 overs (Devraj Patil 45, Sudhindra Shinde 35, Sunil Raju 66, Amit Verma 28, Mohd Arif 28; Tamil Kumaran 4-49, G Vignesh 2-39, R Ashwin 3-132) vs TNCA XI.
