da stake casino： Openers Jai P Yadav and skipper Amay Khurasiya were in blistering formas they starred in Central Zone’s astonishingly facile victory overWest Zone in the Deodhar Trophy semifinal at Green Park in Kanpur onTuesday
da dobrowin： Partab Ramchand19-Dec-2000Openers Jai P Yadav and skipper Amay Khurasiya were in blistering formas they starred in Central Zone’s astonishingly facile victory overWest Zone in the Deodhar Trophy semifinal at Green Park in Kanpur onTuesday.West Zone, with centuries by skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar and JacobMartin, ran up a total of 270 for four wickets in 50 overs. ButCentral Zone made light of what looked to be a tough target, losingonly two wickets and winning with as many as 9.2 overs to spare.Opting to bat, West Zone made a disastrous start losing openers ConnorWilliams (5) and Wasim Jaffer (7) with only 16 runs on the board.While Williams was bowled by Sriwastava, Jaffer was run out. But thenthe two former India players Kanitkar and Martin took charge andhammered the bowlers during their third wicket partnership which added184 runs off 30.3 overs. The left handed Kanitkar, who was the moreaggressive of the two, was bowled by Jai Yadav for 122 for which hefaced only 104 balls. The 26-year-old Maharashtra all rounder hit 15fours and two sixes. After his departure, Martin went for the bowlingand he and Robin Morris (16) added 42 runs off 8.3 overs for thefourth wicket. Martin, who reached his century in the last over of theinnings, remained unbeaten with 102. The 28-year-old Baroda batsman,who has represented the country in eight ODI’s, compiled his runs off118 balls and hit ten of them to the ropes. Among the bowlers, onlyShalabh Sriwastava (2 for 35 off nine overs) and Murali Kartik (nonefor 39 off ten overs) were able to control the run rate somewhat.In the face of a stiff target, Jai Yadav and Khurasiya were far fromoverawed. The duo from Madhya Pradesh went for the bowling from thestart and did pretty much what they liked with the seam attack ofSiddiqui, Mhambrey and Saxena. By the time Khurasiya was out for arollicking 86, the first wicket partnership had put on 158 runs offjust 15.5 overs. The 28-year-old Khurasiya, who has represented thecountry in ten ODI’s, scored his runs off just 51 balls and he hit 14fours and two sixes. There was no respite for the beleaguered WestZone bowlers even after Khurasiya’s departure for Yadav and Md Kaifthen came together in a second wicket partnership that realised 83runs off 15 overs. By the time Yadav was out at 241 in the 31st over,Central Zone were well on their way to an easy victory. The 26-yearold Yadav’s 101 was compiled off only 84 balls and he hit 14 of themto the ropes. Kaif and Gagan Khoda applied the finishing touches witha leisurely unbeaten third wicket partnership of 33 runs off 9.4 oversas Central coasted to a remarkable victory. Kaif, who remainedunbeaten with 51 off 90 balls hit three boundaries.Central Zone now take on South Zone in the final to be played atLucknow on December 21.
