Mumbai win after Bengal collapse

Mumbai 262 for 8 (Morris 55, Shetty 41, Sanyal 4-59) beat Bengal 257 (Haldipur 78, Das 57, Thakur 4-52) by 5 runs
Scorecard

Bengal reached a strong position before losing seven wickets for 45 runs, as Mumbai came out on top by just 5 runs after scoring 262 for 8 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Mumbai's batsmen asserted themselves against Bengal's bowling, with the top six getting starts. Robin Morris first put on 70 with Vinayak Mane, and then 51 for the second wicket with Vinod Kambli, before falling to Utpal Chatterjee for 55, the only half-century of the Mumbai innings. With the score reading 121 for 2, he had ensured an ideal launching pad for his team. It didn't go waste. Kambli and Indulkar both made 31, before Nishit Shetty and M Bangara came together and hammered 62 in close to seven overs. Shetty scored 41 in 38 balls, before Sanjib Sanyal, who had a good outing, nailed him to get his fourth victim of the day. The tail biffed the ball some more, and Mumbai ended their innings at 262 for 8.

Bengal's reply got off to a spirited start. Arindam Das and Nikhil Haldipur galloped to 109 in little more than 18 overs, making the target look eminently achievable. Das was the first to go, having scored a 60-ball 57. Deep Dasgupta gave Haldipur company, and both put on 59, before Manoj Joglekar ran out Haldipur for 78. With seven wickets in hand, 14 overs to go, and only 80 runs needed, Bengal then blew it. Thakur, who bowled valiantly the previous day and still ended on the losing side, returned to dismiss Dasgupta (42), Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Sanyal, and Saurasish Lahiri in quick succession, and Bengal could only watch on in horror as their last seven wickets fell in a heap, just short of the finish line.