CRICKET – Abraj Dhurandhar and Abraj Lions were winners in the latest matchweek of the seventh season of Abraj Premier League (AAPL7).
Dhurandhar recovered from an early collapse and bowled superbly to defeat Abraj Violets by 51 runs.
Batting first, Dhurandhar made a disastrous start and slumped to 12/3 inside three overs, losing three wickets for no runs.
Satheesh led the recovery with a brilliant 45 off 24 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes. Ashish Rawat played the anchor role perfectly, staying unbeaten on 37 off 26 with three fours and two sixes.
After reaching 101 in 15.3 overs, Dhurandhar accelerated sharply, adding 52 runs in the last 4.3 overs to finish on 153/8.
Surender Singh Thakran (13 off eight) and Deepesh Madan (nine*) provided support, and extras added 24 runs.
For Violets, captain Hozefa Petiwala bowled a remarkable spell of 2-0-3-2 with 10 dot balls.
Sushant Khar (2/16) and Collin Dominic Dsilva (2/12) took two wickets each, and Paddy Dabhekar picked up one.
Wicketkeeper Ashwani Bhatia took three catches behind the stumps.
Chasing 154, Violets started aggressively but lost wickets regularly. Satheesh struck twice in two balls to leave them at 15/3 in the third over.
Ashwani Bhatia counter-attacked with 23 off 11 balls, hitting four fours, and the Violets reached 50 in just 5.2 overs.
Two run-outs and tight bowling in the middle overs, however, slowed their progress.
Prem Devassy (14), Hozefa Petiwala (13 off six) and Bharath Jain (10*) tried to keep the chase alive, but the Violets collapsed at the end, losing their last four wickets for just 9 runs and finishing on 102 all out in 15 overs.
For Dhurandhar, Rawat was outstanding with three wickets for just seven runs in two overs, including two wickets in the final over.
Satheesh also took three wickets for 12 runs, while Pankaj Kherajani (1/15) and Vivek Mandowara (1/13) took one wicket each.
Wicketkeeper Deepesh Madan was exceptional, taking five catches, and sharp run-outs by Chetan Dongra and the Kherajani-Mandowara pair added to the pressure.
Rawat’s all-round brilliance, with a match-steadying 37 off 26 balls and figures of 2-0-7-3, earned him the Player of the Match (POM) award.
Meanwhile, Abraj Lions were winners by three wickets over Abraj Indians in a closely fought match.
Batting first, Indians made a poor start and slipped to 24/3 inside four overs, reaching 50 only in the 10th over.
A 20-run 11th over gave the innings fresh life, and the lower order pushed the total to 141/9, adding 36 runs in the last 3.5 overs.
Haresh Balan Nair top-scored with 27 off 19 balls, including two sixes, while Anand smashed 22 off just nine balls with three sixes.
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