City boys move into semis

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, june 24 

Chandigarh gained three points against Ludhiana to finish second in Group A and qualify for the Punjab State Inter-district U-23 Cricket Tournament final, in Mohali today.

On the concluding day of their final two-day league match at the PCA Stadium, Chandigarh bowled out Ludhiana for 288 to gain a vital 30-run first innings lead. Even though, the match ended in a draw, city boys were awarded three points on the basis of the lead.     

Chasing first innings total of 318, Ludhiana rode on half-century knocks by Sandeep Singh and Sukhjinder Singh to give Chandigarh a scare as they piled up 288 runs in 74.4 overs.

Ludhiana, though, had a poor start to their chase losing five wickets for just 111 runs.   

Dipen Chitkara and Sandeep Singh added more than run-a-ball 82 for the sixth wicket to put the side back on track before Gurjot Singh and Sukhjinder propelled them across 250-mark with a 57-run stand for the eighth wicket. 

While Chitkara and Gurjot scored 19 runs each, Sandeep walked back after a strokeful 83. Sukhjinder contributed a brisk 52 to the chase.

Earlier, Jaskaran Bhangu made a useful 46 for Ludhiana. 

Apart from Chandigarh, Group A toppers Amritsar (11 points) and Group B leaders Patiala (15 points) and Jalandhar (11 points) qualified for the semifinals. 

Amritsar beat Hoshiarpur 

At Gandhi Grounds in Amritsar, the hosts made short work of Hoshiarpur as they bundled out the visitors for 84 runs after declaring their first innings closed at 404/3. 

Amritsar innings was bolstered by an unbeaten double century by Navneet Singh (215 off 214 balls) and 107-run knock by opener Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek Kumar scored an unbeaten 81 off 92 balls. 

In reply, Hoshiarpur folded up their innings at 186 runs in 59.4 overs as Rohit Gulati (5/35) led Amritsar attack made regular inroads into their line-up. 

Karan Chawla (54) and Harmanjit Singh (43) offered some resistance but it was not enough as the side was made to follow on.  

In their second innings, Hoshiarpur dished out yet another poor performance to fold up at 134 in 33.5 overs. 

Karan Chawla (49) was the top scorer for the side, while Rahul Kashyap (5/50) and Shivam Sharma (4/16) shared the spoils for Amritsar. 

Kaila puts Patiala on top

Hosts Patiala, meanwhile, defeated Mohali by an innings and 191 runs at Dhruv Pandove Stadium.  

Patiala’s win was engineered by Akul Partap Pandove and skipper Karan Kaila. 

After the side declared their innings closed at 431/6 yesterday, they bundled out visitors Mohali for 118 in their first innings with left-arm spinner Kaila (5/27) and off spinner Pandove (4/44) sharing nine wickets between them. 

Asked to follow on, Mohali could manage only 122 in their second essay, with Kaila again proving to be their nemesis. The skipper grabbed amother fifer(5/20) to comple a match haul of 10/47. 

At Bulrlton Park in Jalandhar, the hosts registered an innings and 83 runs win over Muktsar to make it to the semifinals. 

The four-day semifinals will be played from June 27. while Patiala will host Chandigarh, Jalandhar will visit Amritsar.