Thane Hills A emerge champions

MUMBAI, FEB 23: Thane Hills A beat Worli in the final to register their supremacy in the eight-a-side cricket championship for the Jagdish K...

MUMBAI, FEB 23: Thane Hills A beat Worli in the final to register their supremacy in the eight-a-side cricket championship for the Jagdish Khanna Trophy at the Dadaoji Konddeo Stadium, Thane. It was a reversal of fortunes for the champion side in Sunday’s final as Thane Hills had lost to Worli in last year’s title clash.

Set to score 76 for a win in the stipulated five overs, Worli plundered 22 in the first over to put their rivals under pressure.

But Thane Hills fought back with steady bowling and superb fielding in the next four overs to tilt the balance for a 15-run victory.

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Medium-pacer Ravi Iyer was the solitary bowler in the tournament to concede less than ten runs in his three overs — 0-8 in the quarters, 0-7 in the semis and 0-9 in the final — to clinch the best bowler of the championship.

Thane Hills also cornered the best batsman’s award through opener Ajay Sakalkar, who had scores of 30 retired, 18 and 31 retired. Ajay Singh of Mulund Hills emerged as the best fieldman in thechampionship while the man of the tournament honours were bagged by Vidyut Shah of Worli. A special award for a match-winning hat-trick was bagged by Thane Hills A skipper Ranganathan Iyer.