Players Details
Fixture & Results
All-round Bengal start with a win
21st February 2021
Half-centuries by skipper Anustup Majumder and youngster Kaif Ahmad along with quality bowling performance ensured that Bengal gets off to a winning start in Vijay Hazare trophy by beating Services by 70 runs today at Eden Gardens.
Put to bat first Bengal posted 315/6 in their quota of overs and while defending they bundled Services for 245 as their last batter AP Sharma was absent hurt.
Bengal openers Vivek Singh (39) and Sreevats Goswami (28) showed patience and stiched a 71-run partnership before Pulkit Narang gave Services the breakthrough by removing the Bengal keeper and the latter one was run out after one ball.
After that Bengal skipper Anustup showed his class with the bat once again with a half-century and Abhimanyu Easwaran gave him company to add 92 runs off the third wicket.
Bengal skipper scored 58 while Easwaran made 39 to provide a strong foundation for a big total which was later well utilized by Kaif and Bengal all-rounders.
Kaif smashed 11 boundaries and 3 sixes enroute to his 53-ball 75 while Bengal all-rounders Shahbaz Ahamed (25), Arnab Nandi (20*) and Writtick Chatterjee (17*) played quickfire cameos to help Bengal cross 300.
While defending Bengal bowlers Ishan Porel, Shahbaz, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep picked up 2 wickets apiece to derail Services batting lineup.
Services skipper Rajat Paliwal fought well with tha bat by scoring 90 while Narang made half-century but that wasn't enough as Bengal bowlers put up a disciplined show.
In other two matches in Kolkata Chandigarh defeated Haryana by 3 wickets and Saurashtra defeated J&K by 3 wickets.
The clash between Chandigarh and Haryana saw two centuries as H Rana scored 102 for the former team along with Rahul Tewatia's 73 to post a total of 299/9.
Chandigarh batter Manan Vohra scored a ton while Ankit Sharma stayed unbeaten on 78 to ensure the victory.
In the other match Chirag Jani's unbeaten 93 helped Saurashtra beat J&K.
CAB MEDIA DESK
Rio Dutta