Mohali set up final date with Patiala

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 20

A sedate century by opener Abhijet Garg and some useful contributions by Anil Yadav and wicketkeeper-batsman Mayank Sidhu down the order helped hosts Mohali gain a crucial 151-run first innings lead over Ludhiana on the second and final day of their semifinal match in the Punjab Inter-District U-23 Cricket Championship at IS Bindra PCA Stadium here and set up the title clash with Patiala. 

At Dhruv Pandove Stadium in Patiala, the hosts rode on skipper Prabhsimran Singh’s double ton to gain a 198-run first innings lead over visitors Amritsar and ease into the final, which is scheduled to be held at the PCA Stadium here from June 23.    

Abhijet-Anil show  

Resuming the day on 81/2, Mohali lost three wickets in quick succession to slump to 121/5 before Garg and Yadav steadied the ship and took the score past Ludhiana’s first innings total of 181. 

Garg, who was batting on 46 yesterday, showed a lot of maturity and together with Yadav added 78 runs for the sixth wicket to guide the hosts to safety. 

The partnership was broken when Garg returned to the hut after scoring 111 runs.  His 219-ball stay in the middle was studded with eight boundaries and two sixes.  

After Garg’s dismissal, Yadav was joined by Sidhu and the two added 60 runs for the seventh wicket before the hosts declared their innings closed on 332/8. 

Yadav was caught by Gurjot off Kashish Panseja on 84, while Sidhu returned unbeaten on 48.  

Panseja was the most successful bowler for the visitors claiming 6/131.

Trailing Mohali by 151 runs, Ludhiana were struggling on 93/5 in their second innings when the match ended.

Harpreet Brar (2/31) and Nikhil Kohli (2/34) picked two wickets each, while Harnoor Singh made an unbeaten 31 for the visitors.

Prabhsimran on song

Opener Prabhsimran Singh, meanwhile, smashed 298 runs off 301 balls to propel hosts Patiala to 489/5 on the last day of their semifinal match against Amritsar.       

Chasing Amritsar’s first innings total of 291 runs, Prabhsimran in company of Anmolpreet Singh raised 239 runs for the third wicket after the hosts resumed the day on 44 for no loss. 

The duo was severe on the Amritsar attack and punished every lose delivery that came on their way. The opener was more belligerent in his approach, hitting 29 boundaries and 13 sixes before being dismissed by Rahul Kashyap.    

Anmolpreet’s 103-ball 101 was studded with seven fours and five towering sixes.  

Earlier, the skipper shared a 135-run second-wicket partnership with Sanvir Singh. 

The duo was separated when Sanvir fell to left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma on 41.

For Amritsar, Kashyap returned with figures of 2/75, while Abhishek Sharma (1/ 61), Abhinav Sharma (1/21) and Rohit Kumar (1/138) claimed a wicket apiece.