Leggie Shreyas bags fifer, Kolhapur thrash Pune
Pune, June 12 2024: Leggie Shreyas Chavan (4-0-18-5) picked up the first fifer of the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) 2024 to set up PBG Kolhapur Tuskers’ big win over 4S Puneri Bappa at the MCA International Stadium here Wednesday.
Kolhapur chased the below-par target of 136 in 14.4 overs with eight wickets to spare. Ankeet Bawne (70*, 54b, 8x4s, 1×6) once again anchored the innings with skipper Rahul Tripathi (42, 21b, 4x4s, 3x6s) firing on all cylinders.
Bawne started the proceedings with three consecutive boundaries of Ramkrishna Ghosh’s only over. Aniket Porwal (9, 9b, 2x4s) followed it up with two back-to-back fours but perished immediately after, giving a simple catch to Roshan Waghsare at point off Sachin Bhosale’s bowling.
Coming in at 27 for 1, Rahul Tripathi took four balls to assess the conditions before launching Sohan Jamale for 4, 4, 6. Along with Bawne, Tripathi kept the scoreboard ticking, fetching odd boundaries. The duo added 77 runs off 55 balls to finish the game early and boost Kolhapur’s net run rate. However, they are fifth in the table with six points from 7 games. Pune are bottom with 4 points from seven matches.
Chavan’s immediate impact
Earlier, Kolhapur skipper Tripathi introduced Chavan into attack in the last over of the power play. He dismissed opener Pavan Shah (25, 20b, 3x4s, 1×6) with his second ball, caught at mid-off by Shrikant Mundhe. On the last ball, he sent back Tuesday’s half-centurian Abhimanyu Jadhav for just one, caught at point by Ankeet Bawne.
Pune captain Ruturaj Gaikwad once again walked in with his side struggling at 38 for 3. However, he could not stage another rescue act and was bowled for just 1 off 4 balls. He tried to swivel Chavan’s delivery on the leg side but the ball just looped off his glove and dislodged a bail. Ruturaj could do nothing but throw his head back in disappointment.
Chavan returned in the 14th over for his second spell. It was a quiet 4-run over. On the first ball of his last and the game’s 16th over, he conceded his only boundary (a six by Rohan Damle). But the lanky leggie immediately had his man, Damle holding out to Shrikant Mundhe at long-on. Chavan finished his spell with a wicket – Sahil Autade caught at long-off by Manoj Yadav – to leave 4S Puneri Bappa struggling at 94 for 6.
Last season, Kolhapur’s Manoj Yadav had bagged a fifer in just six runs, including a hattrick, against Eagle Nashik Titans, in a 10-over affair.
Opener Pavan Shah, Rohan Damle (38, 41b, 3x4s, 1×6) Sahil Autade (26, 2b, 2x6s) and Suraj Shinde (35*, 16b, 5x4s, 1×6) were the only Pune batters to have a double-digit score.
Brief scores: 4S Puneri Bappa: 135 for 8 in 20 overs (Rohan Damle 38, Suraj Shinde 35*; Shreyas Chavan 5-18) lost to PBG Kolhapur Tuskers: 136 for 2 in 14.4 (Ankeet Bawne 70*, Rahul Tripathi 42; Sachin Bhosale 1-21) by 8 wickets.
