Kolhapur edge Ratnagiri by two runs in a thriller

Pune, June 10 2024: Three sixes, a dropped catch & a run out and a couple of close no-ball calls going in favour of the bowling side. There was drama in the last over of the match between PBG Kolhapur Tuskers and Ratnagiri Jets.

In the end, Kolhapur edged out Ratnagiri by just two runs in a thrilling Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2024 match at the MCA International Stadium on Monday.

Chasing 170, the Jets needed 46 off the last three overs with Nikhil Naik batting on 3 off 3 balls. By the end of the 18th, he was on 7 off six balls, the Jets needing 39 runs. He then unleashed his brute power on Manoj Yadav (1 for 42) and moved himself to 16 off 11 balls with two sixes.

Nihal Tusamad had to defend 24 off the last over. The first two balls went sailing over ropes. The third was a dot, Nikhil rightly refusing a single. On the fourth ball, he mistimed his hit but Kolhapur skipper Rahul Tripathi dropped a skier, but Kolhapur ran out Abhishek Pawar (11, 6b, 1×6). On the fifth ball, Nikhil could get only two runs. After a lengthy check, the third umpire Parashar Joshi deemed it was a legal delivery. With 9 needing off the last ball, he hit the third six of the over, but it proved inadequate.

Before that, leggie Shreyas Chavan (4-0-14-4) bowled the best spell of this year’s competition and derailed Ratnagiri’s chase. He castled impact player Preetam Patil (38, 16b, 4x4s, 3x6s) with a googly with his first ball of the spell. On the third ball, he trapped Kiran Chormale in front for a golden duck. Ratnagiri went from 50 for no loss after 3.4 overs to 51 for 3 in the space of five deliveries.

The Jets, who still top the table with four wins from six games, never recovered from that collapse and fell to their second consecutive loss in an agonising manner with Kolhapur strangling them in the middle overs.

Earlier, captain Rahul Tripathi (63, 39b, 7x4s, 3x6s) continued his purple patch to inspire PBG Kolhapur Tuskers to 169 for 7. Coming to crease at 3 for 1, the Sunrisers Hyderabad batter launched a counter-attack and dispatched every Ratnagiri bowler to all parts of the ground. He brought up his second consecutive fifty in just 25 balls and 34 minutes. Ratnagiri skipper Azim Kazi (1 for 17) had to bring himself on to dismiss his opposite number.

Tripathi was ably supported by south-paw batter Siddharth Mhatre (44, 36b, 1×4, 3x6s) as the duo put on 90 runs for the third wicket. For Ratnagiri, left-arm spinner Satyajeet Bachhav picked 3 for 31 from his three overs.

Brief scores: PBG Kolhapur Tuskers: 169 for 7 in 20 overs (Rahul Tripathi 63, Siddharth Mhatre 44; Satyajeet Bachhav 3-31) bt Ratnagiri Jets: 167 for 7 in 20 (Preetam Patil 38, Nikhil Naik 37*; Shreyas Chavan 4-14) by two runs.

Nashik wins another five-over affair

Eagle Nashik Titans moved to second place in the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2024 table with another thrilling win in a five-over affair over Raigad Royals at the MCA International Stadium here Monday.

The clash between Nashik and Raigad had to be called off on Sunday just three balls into Raigad’s chase of 155. On Monday morning, Nashik skipper Prashant Solanki invited Raigad Royals to bat first. Skipper Naushad Shaikh (32, 13b, 3x4s, 3x6s) and Mehul Patel (22*, 12b, 2x4s) took Raigad to 64 for 3 in their 5 overs.

Nashik, who had chased down 83 in just four overs on Sunday morning, again made the light work of the target, winning with 9 wickets and seven balls to spare.

Wicket-keeper bat, Mandar Bhandari (22*, 7b, 2x4s, 2x6s) smashed 14 off the first over of Nikhil Kadam. From that point onwards it was the India U-19 World Cupper Arshin Kulkarni (41, 15b, 8x4s, 1×6) show.

Kulkarni hit Manoj Ingale for four consecutive boundaries to move to 21 off 11 balls. He followed it up with a boundary off Vicky Ostwal before another explosion of 6, 4, 4 to move him to 41. However, with just one needed for the win, Kulkarni perished to a brilliant diving one-handed catch by Naushad Shaikh at short third, the only blemish on Nashik’s victory.

Brief scores: Raigad Royals: 64 for 3 in 5 overs (Naushad Shaikh 32, Mehul Patel 22*; Prashant Solanki 1-15) lost to Eagle Nashik Titans: 68 for 1 in 3.5 (Arshin Kulkarni 41, Mandar Bhandari 22*; Tanay Sanghavi 1-18) by 9 wickets.