Godrej XI and Youth Club enter final

CHANDIGARH, Sept 6: Former Haryana Ranji player Rakesh Jolly is not on a comeback trail but can still put any bowling attack to shame wit...

CHANDIGARH, Sept 6: Former Haryana Ranji player Rakesh Jolly is not on a comeback trail but can still put any bowling attack to shame with his clean hitting. His knock of 66 (54 balls; four sixes, five fours) played a lead role in Godrej Club’s 29 run win over Tari XI in the semifinal of the second Youth Cup Cash Prize cricket tournament here at the Gursagar ground today. Godrej XI will take on Youth XI, nine wicket winners over LIC XI in the other semifinal, in the tournament final.

Jolly sent the innocuous looking Tari XI seamers on a leather hunt. Over pitched balls went over the arc between mid-on and mid-off while short pitched stuff was either pulled or cut with ferocious power by him. Even after his dismissal, there was no respite for the Tari bowlers. R P Singh hit three sixes in his 21 ball 38 and Sanjay Sabharwal hit two sixes in his 31 as Godrej XI amassed 182 for 7 in 25 overs.

Much depended on south paw Dinesh Mongia as Tari XI began their quest for the required runs. He was not a disappointment really, but the ask was too much for the other to cope up with. Mongia hit four fours and two sixes in his 42 but with his dismissal, plus the balls disappearing fast for Tari XI, the run chase got stiffer and stiffer.

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Bhupinder Singh and Manoj Rajan were then involved in a 42 run partnership but by then the Godrej spinners, left-armmer Arun Tuli and right-arm off-spinner R P Singh, picked up eight wickets between them to thwart Tari XI’s hopes.

Arun Tuli reaped a rich harvest, claiming five wickets for 17 while R P Singh took 3 for 26.

In the second match, Youth XI owed their win to Rajesh Rohnewal (4 for 15) and Rahul Panta who scored a brisk 51 n.o. as the Youth XI completed the formalities of chasing a meagre target.

Scores
/Godrej XI: 182 for 7 (Rakesh Jolly 66, R P Singh 38, Sanjay Sabharwal 31, Dinesh Mongia 2 for 24, Prem Singh 2 for 29) beat Tari XI: 153 (Dinesh Mongia 42, Bhupinder Singh 28, Sandeep Sonu 23, Arun Tuli 5 for 17, R P Singh 3 for 26).

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LIC XI: 76 (Rajesh Rohnewal 4 for 15, Vijay Rattan 2 for 14, Chand Rana 2 for 7) lost to Youth XI, Dera Bassi: 80 for 1 (Rahul Panta 51 n.o.).

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