Tiwary knock sends Delhi crashing out

For a while now,Manoj Tiwary has flattered to deceive,failing to come up with a defining innings that could set up his re-launch.

The 24-year-old Bengal players knock at the MBB Stadium in the lakeside backwaters of Agartala might count as one. Tiwary scored a breathtaking unbeaten 96,seeing off an otherwise lacklustre Bengal to a two-wicket win against Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final. Bengal won by two wickets with five balls to spare in the 47-overs-a-side clash.

Tiwary fought off mid-innings cramps and hung around on a dustbowl in the fading light to pull off a win that had looked Delhis. Chasing a 210-run target on a spinning track,wickets tumbled and the match got uncomfortably close before Tiwary scored the winning boundary through a sweep off the first ball of the last over from spinner Darshan Kanjania.

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After opener Manan Sharma (43) and the tailenders helped Delhi post a modest 209,their bowlers,spearheaded by Pradeep Sangwan,Rajat Bhatia and Chetnya Nanda,got the Bengal batting by the scruff of the neck.

But from 96/4,Tiwary took complete charge of the chase. Batting at No 4,he was lucky to survive after Delhi stumper Punit Bisht fumbled a sharp chance off Nanda with the batsman on 10. Tiwary made great use of that lifeline,playing some audacious strokes in a knock that included nine boundaries. Bengal will take on Baroda in the semi-finals on Friday at the same venue.

Mumbai beaten

In another quarter-final match at the PTI ground,Tamil Nadu beat Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai by 56 runs to reach the semi-finals. TN will take on Uttar Pradesh on Friday at the same venue. TN batsman Aniruddha Srikanth starred with a 67-run knock to guide his team to 252,and Mumbai were shot out for 196 in 45.5 overs.

Brief scores: Delhi 209/8 in 47 overs (Manan Sharma 43,Puneet Bisht 36 not out; Iresh Saxena 2/17,Ritam Kundu 2/39) v Bengal 210/8 in 46.1 overs (Manoj Tiwary 96 not out,Wriddhiman Saha 30; Chetnya Nanda 3/44).

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Tamil Nadu 252/9 in 50 overs (Aniruddh Srikanth 67,R Ashwin 46; Iqbal Abdulla 3/43) v Mumbai 196 in 45.5 overs (S Vidyut 3/32).