da casino： New Zealand Cricket Academy (NZCA) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC) were slugging it out in a tense semifinal contest at the MAChidambaram Stadium at Chepauk today
da bet7： Sankhya Krishnan29-Aug-2000New Zealand Cricket Academy (NZCA) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC) were slugging it out in a tense semifinal contest at the MAChidambaram Stadium at Chepauk today. The fall of opener Radhey ShyamGupte in the last over of the day may have just tilted the balance inNew Zealand’s way. The oilmen closed out at 171/4, still 158 adriftand with the cream of their batting back in the pavilion. Earlier acombative unbeaten hundred from allrounder James Franklin and his 52run last wicket association with Chris Martin lifted the visitors to329. India seamer Amit Bhandari was the pick of the bowlers mopping uptwo more wickets today to finish with a bag of six.Resuming at 252/6, the Academy boys lost three wickets for 25 runs inthe morning. Bhandari scalped two in two balls taking out wicketkeeperMartyn Sigley and Bruce Martin to leave NZCA at 270/8. Left armspinner Rahul Sanghvi then got into the act, upsetting Jeeten Patel’sstumps for four. Then came the 99 minute rearguard action fromFranklin, captain of the Kiwi side at the Under 19 World Cup inJanuary this year, and Martin. ONGC got rid of the latter in the 132ndover, when he directed Sanghvi into the hands of Gupte at sillypoint.The lefthanded Franklin was left high and dry on a magnificent 115(272 balls, 12 fours). Bhandari (6/45) and Sanghvi (4/122) shared allten wickets between them.ONGC commenced their reply shortly after lunch and with his fifthball, right arm quickie Chris Martin despatched Gagan Khoda for aduck. The Rajasthan captain flicked him straight into the hands of anagile Michael Papps at forward short leg. Radhey Shyam Gupte, whoreplaced Ravi Sehgal for this match, and captain Gautam Vadhera thensteadied the innings with a patient stand of 82. Vadehra looked themore enterprising of the two, tucking into left arm spinner BruceMartin with gusto. At the opposite end left arm quick Franklin wasgetting the ball to land on a relentless off stump line as well asdropping it on the perfect length to tempt the batsman into a recklesswaft outside off stump. Vadehra launched into one which went over thehead of point who stuck out his left hand but the ball refused tostick.Legspinner Aaron Redmond came on from the pavilion end and managed toget a leg break to kick up which Gupte gloved just over the slipcordon. It was Vadehra who departed first, slashing Martin straightinto James Marshall at gully for 32. Virender Shewag, the stockilybuilt Delhi strokemaker arrived in the middle and ondrove his firstball, a full toss, through the legs of mid on for four. Gupte took thecue from his partner, heaving Redmond over squareleg for the first sixoff the innings. NZCA captain Jacob Oram gave Chris Martin a welldeserved break after an extended spell and brought himself on from theIndian Oil end. Shewag set the innings alight with back to backboundaries. The first a flick to backward squareleg that brought upthe 100 and the second a delectable dab past gully to the backwardpoint fence.Oram decided enough was enough and introduced off spinner Jeeten Patelinto the firing line. It was Redmond though who broke through, Shewagrocking back and indiscreetly forcing him uppishly into the off side.Chris Martin completed the low catch at deep point to leave the oilmenat 117/3. Jeeten Patel may be a brilliant bowler but not on theevidence of his showing today. Oram kept him on a shade too long andboth Gupte and Rizwan Shamshad gleefully waded into him, taking theaerial route to midwicket and straight down the ground for boundaries.Gupte had settled down to play a disciplined knock after some earlyjitters but he let his guard down in the last over of the day fromRedmond. The second ball was sliced into second slip’s midriff but thefielder agonisingly failed to close his hands over the ball. Two ballslater Gupte went forward and tried to smother the spin. The ballpopped up into the safe hands of Lou Vincent at silly point to deal adefinitive blow to ONGC’s aspirations.
