by Suman Gupta
Mumbai: Tata Sports Club showed great resilience and remarkable fighting qualities to snatch a tense 2-run victory against Future Group in a cliff-hanger final of the 10th RCF T20 Cricket Tournament 2019 for the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Cup, organized by Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited and played under the auspices of MCA at the RCF Colony ground, Chembur.
After captain Akshay Darekar decided to field first the Future Group bowlers got the early breaks and reduced Tata’s to 47 for 8 wickets in 11 overs. But a face-saving effort from number 9 batsman Vishal Dabholkar who scored a 34-ball unbeaten 27 runs which was studded with three boundaries steadied the Tata’s innings which finally folded at 94 all out in 19.1 overs. Dabholkar and Siddharth Raut (15 runs) put together a 33-run ninth wicket partnership to provide some respectability to their innings. Sagar Mule (4 for 5), Aatish Gawand (2 for 28) and Javed Khan (2 for 22) were responsible for Tata’s poor showing with the bat.
Defending a low total, the Tata’s spinners Brijesh Gharat (3 for 16), Aditya Dhumal (3 for 19) and Chirag Khurana (2 for 6) rose to the challenge and tormented the Future Group batsmen and bundled them out for a paltry 92 runs in 19.4 overs to clinch victory and emerge champions. Raunaq Sharma (27 runs) and Shashikant Kadam (16 runs) were the only batsmen to get into double figures.
Brief scores: Tata Sports Club 94 all out, in 19.1 overs (Vishal Dabholkar 27 not out (34b, 3×4), Sufiyan Shaikh 15, Tushar Gharat 14, Siddharth Raut 15; Sagar Mule 4/5, Aatish Gawand 2/28, Javed Khan 2/22) beat Future Group 92 all out, in 19.4 overs (Raunaq Sharma 27 (26b, 1×4, 1×6), Shashikant Kadam 16; Brijesh Gharat 3/16, Aditya Dhumal 3/19, Chirag Khurana 2/6) by 2 runs.
Gharat was named ‘Match of the match’ and he also won the Best Bowler award. Shashikant Kadam (Future Group) was declared as the Player of the tournament.
Tata’s SC received the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Cup and winners’ prize from Sudhir D. Panadare, Director (Technical) RCF, and Rajesh Sutar, former Mumbai selector.
Man-of-the-match: Brijesh Gharat (Tata’s SC).
Best batsman of the tournament: Kaustubh Pawar (Tata’s SC).
Best bowler of the tournament: Brijesh Gharat (Tata’s SC).
Best fielder of the tournament: Akshay Darekar (Future Group).
Player of the tournament: Shashikant Kadam (Future Group).
