Elf ride home on Rane’s knock

MUMBAI, MARCH 21: Wicket-keeper batsman Amol Rane smashed a resolute 76 to guide Elf Lubricants to a comfortable six-wicket win over Sun Grace Mafatlal in the Times Shield A Division cricket final at the Wankhede Stadium today.Set a target of 224 on the last day, Elf cruised to the total, ten minutes before tea, for their maiden Shield title.

Sun Grace’s nightmare began soon as they entered the field. Opener Maroof Khan clobbered medium-pacer Mandar Gokarna for 21 runs in the very first over. This included three hits to the fence and a big one over the long on boundary. “It was pre-planned,” revealed skipper Jatin Paranjpe after the match. “The initial onslaught helped in easing the pressure for rest of the day.” Elf had to reach the target for a drawn match would have handed the trophy to Sun Grace, who had managed a slender first innings lead of 20.The departure of a rampaging Maroof (32 off 38 balls) brought on regular opener Amol Rane to the crease. “It has been my dream to score well in the TimesShield final and I lived it today,” said a relieved Rane of his marathon innings which lasted almost three hours and included nine boundaries and a six. It was for the second time that Rane had come in to bat at No 3, that too at the same venue. The last time he did that was in a Harris Shield final, when he made a double-hundred for Shardashram.

“I would have loved to get a hundred today but I guess that was not to be,” said the 21-year-old who was castled while defending a Rajesh Pawar delivery off the backfoot. The ball take the inside edge and run on to the stumps.

First innings top scorer Sairaj Bahutule chipped in with a 30 before Amol Muzumdar (25: 45b, 4×4) and Paranjpe (33: 37b, 3×4) took over. Both remained unbeaten as Muzumdar ended the match with a boundary.

Sun Grace skipper Rohan Gavaskar looked disappointed but said he was happy to have made the final. “A total of 223 was never an easy one to defend but I am happy with the way the boys fought till the end.”

Scoreboard

SunGrace (1st innings): 274

Elf Lubricants (1st innings): 254

Sun Grace (2nd innings): 203

Elf Lubricants (2nd innings, overnight 1-0): Maroof Khan c Gavaskar b Pawar 32, Paras Mhambrey c Pagnis b Gavaskar 18, Amol Rane b Pawar 76, Sairaj Bahutule c Sugwekar b Raju 30, Amol Muzumdar not out 25, Jatin Paranjpe not out 33. Extras (4b, 4lb, 1w, 4nb): 13. Total (for four wickets in 74.5 overs) 227.

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-62, 3-160, 4-168.

Bowling: Z Khan 6-1-21-0, Raju 25-5-54-1, Gokarna 1-0-21-0, Pawar 19-4-65-2, Gavaskar 10-1-26-1, I Khan 15-5-24-0, Morris 1-0-2-0, Sugwekar 0.5-5-0.

Umpires: Suresh Shastri, CS Lalaji.

Results: Elf won by six wickets.