Malap Claims 4 As Marathas shock Warriors to charge into final Despite Pokhre’s 60

Mumbai: Thane Marathas dished out solid fighting performances and did well to record a shock 6-run win against fancied Shivaji Park Warriors in a keenly contested semi-final match of the Mumbai Cricket Club (MCC) and Jwala Sports Foundation (JSF) organized MitsuiShoji T20 Cricket League (Season 9), played at the Police Gymkhana ground, Marine Drive on Wednesday.

Put in to bat first, Thane Marathas produced a late charge to put on the board a challenging total of 173 runs for 9 wickets from their 20 overs. The middle-order batting duo of skipper Ronak Shinde 37 runs (27-balls, 5×6) and left-hander Nehal Katakdhond 30 runs (23-balls, 2×4,2×6) stitched together a face-saving 71-run partnership for the sixth wicket which lifted the Marathas’ innings. Veera Sigamani 23 runs and Siddhant Adatrao 21 runs added valuable runs to boost the total. Warriors’ medium pacer Yashraj P. 4 for 20, and left-arm spinner Yash Chauhan 2 for 29 claimed the wickets.

In reply, Shivaji Park Warriors, who were on a roll having won all their first seven league matches convincingly, before losing to Mumbai Police City Riders in the concluding league match on Tuesday, succumbed to their second defeat in as many days. Chasing an attainable target, they suffered a middle order collapse and could only manage to score 167 for 7 wickets from their quota of 20 overs. Left-handed bat Jayesh Pokhre led Warriors fight with a blistering 26-ball knock of 60 runs which contained five boundaries and four well-struck sixes. But after his dismissal, the other batters were unable to force the pace and take their team past the finish line. Opening batsmen Siddhant Singh, who had cracked a century 105 runs in the last match, managed to make 33 runs (31-balls, 3×4,1×6) and Onkar Jadhav made 27 runs. Marathas’ medium pacers Bhavya Attrey 2 for 26 and Deeve Modi 2 for 28 bowled well in tandem to restrict the opposition batters and clinch their close victory.

Warriors’ batsman Pokhre was declared ‘Man of the Match’ and former Sri Lanka medium pacer Chaminda Vaas presented him with the trophy and the cheque.

Thane Marathas will clash with the winners of the second semi-final in the grand finale to be played under floodlights at the Mumbai Police Gymkhana ground, Marine Drive on Saturday. Mumbai Police City Riders and Ghatkopar Jets will clash in the second semi-final at the Air India Sports Club ground, Kalina on Thursday.

Brief scores (semi-finals): Thane Marathas 173 for 9, 20 overs (Ronak Shinde 37, Nehal Katakdhond 30, Veera Sigamani 23, Siddhant Adatrao 21; Yashraj P. 4 for 20, Yash Chauhan 2 for 29) beat Shivaji Park Warriors 167 for 7, 20 overs (Jayesh Pokhre 60, Siddhant Singh 33, Onkar Jadhav 27; Bhavya Attrey 2 for 26, Deeve Modi 2 for 28). Result: Thane Marathas won by 6 runs.