Tapan, Town Club, Mohun Bagan, Kalighat in semi final in Bengal T20
Kolkata, Dec 7 (IANS) Riding on Prayas Ray Barman’s fluent 46-ball 68 Tapan Memorial Club beat Calcutta Customs by six wickets to go atop the table as league matches of Bengal T20 Challenge were concluded on Monday.
Tapan Memorial Club (28 points from 10 matches), Town Club (28 from 10), Mohun Bagan Club (20 from 10), and Kalighat Club (20 from 10) — the top four teams on the points table in six-team competition — qualified for the semi-finals.
Barman was promoted up the batting order chasing a low target of 128 runs and the Tapan all-rounder grabbed the chance with both hands to smash three sixes and six boundaries en route to his maiden half-century of the tournament at Eden Gardens.
Shakir Habib Gandhi contributed with 42 not out along with Barman while Bapi Manna bagged two wickets for Customs.
Earlier, Customs elected to bat first after winning the toss and another half-century from Suvankar Bal ensured that they reach 127/6 in 20 overs. Suvankar hit 58 off 48 deliveries while Ramesh Prasad was the highest wicket-taker for Tapan Memorial with 2 for 30.
In an earlier match on Monday, Azan Ansari and Mohammed Kaif shared seven wickets to help Town Club defeat East Bengal by three runs and take their tally to 28 points from 10 matches. Azaz got four for 13 while Kaif bagged three for 21 runs to steal a close match.
Earlier, put to bat first Town Club amassed 134/8 as Purab Joshi scored 32 off 35 balls while Kanishk Seth bagged three wickets and skipper Arnab Nandi picked up two wickets for East Bengal.
Defending a low total Town bowlers responded well to restrict EB to 131/9 in their quota of 20 overs while skipper Arnab Nandi’s 27-ball 40 went in vain.
In a late evening match on Sunday, Sudip Chatterjee played yet another match-winning knock as he helped Kalighat Club beat Calcutta Customs by four wickets in a nail-biting finish, and reach the semi-finals.
Chasing a stiff target of 170 runs, Kalighat on Sunday night lost Jayojit Basu cheaply to get reduced to 8/1 in the very first over. However, Sudip, who came out next, scored 79 off 47 deliveries and laid the foundation for a memorable victory.
He smashed five fours and five sixes en route to his match-winning knock while Aamir Gani also contributed with a crucial 25-ball 33.
Needing nine runs off the last over Abhishek Bose (8*) and Pradipta Pramanik (9*) kept their cool and guided Kalighat into the semi-finals.
Earlier, put into bat, Suvankar Bal played a blistering knock of 86 runs off 51 balls to help Calcutta Customs post 169/5 in their allotted quota of 20 overs. Agniv Pan also contributed with 29-ball 39.
Kalighat bowlers couldn’t throw much of a challenge at the Customs batter as Sourav Mondal was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 2/43.
–IANS
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