Unbeaten Baroda qualified for the knockout stage of the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as it finished on top of Elite Group C following a 12-run win over Gujarat in Vadodara on Monday.
Baroda had come into the final Group C match after winning its first four games.
Put into bat at the F. B. Colony ground, Baroda rode on an unbeaten 59 by Vishnu Solanki and a whirlwind 17-ball 34 by Abhimanyusingh Rajput to post a competitive total of 176 for four, and then restricted Gujarat to 164/9 to eke out a win.
READ |
Baroda openers, skipper Kedar Devdhar (26) and Smit Patel (34), could not convert their starts into big scores as Gujarat bowlers, led by captain and left-arm bowler Axar Patel (2/13), kept making inroads. It was Solanki who took the onus on himself and played a sensible knock.
Solanki, who hammered eight fours and a lone six, finally found an able ally in Rajput, who hit three fours and two sixes, as the duo forged a valuable 50-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Gujarat could not capitalise on the decent start given by its openers Dhruv Raval (41) and Priyesh Patel (17) as the pair added 60 runs for the first-wicket.
Skipper Patel (36), who came one-down, number five Chirag Gandhi (25) and number six Ripal Patel (29) raised the hopes of a win, but in the end it was the Baroda bowlers who had the last laugh.
After Ripal was dismissed, it was all over for Gujarat. For Baroda, left-arm spinner Ninad Rathwa (3/4) was the pick of the bowler,s and was ably supported by another slow-left arm bowler Bhargav Bhatt (2/28).
Comments
SHARE