Associate Bank score a 17 run win to take Pooja Trophy

A fine spell of bowling by the left-arm spinner Manish Majithia (4 for 38) saw All India Associate Bank score a 17 run win over India Cements in the 50th All India Sankar Cement Pooja Cricket Tournament final at the Palace Oval in Thripunithura on Sunday.

Set to score 213 for a win, India Cements were off to a sedate start with openers J Honeyman (28) and K George John (6) adding 28 runs in 6.3 overs. George John was the first to go when Manohar pouched a catch off NP Singh. MA Satheesh (23) then joined Honeyman and realised the fifty for India Cements when Honeyman was stumped off Majithia.

Satheesh himself did not last long and in the 15th over of the innings he fell leg before to R Sridhar. This brought in Sadashiv Iyer (6) and in the company of S Sharath (33) took the score onto 81, when the former offered a return catch to Majithia. Sharath and Gokulakrishnan (12) did not last long. Sharath offered a chance to B Akhil off M Panchasara while Gokulakrishnan was caught by D Manohar off KST Sai.

With the score 134 for 6, S Oasis (43) and S Suresh (28) tried to put the India Cements back on track with a 53 run seventh wicket partnership. Oasis was stumped off Majithia at this crutial juncture and India Cements lost their way. The last three batsmen could not hit the required runs and the innings folded up at 195.

Earlier, put into bat, All India Associate Bank put up 212 runs in 41.5 overs. Openers D Manohar (67) and M Srinivas (12) put on 28 runs in 4.5 overs. Srinivas became the first casuality when he was caught behind off Devanand. This brought in D Bundela to the centre and along with Manohar forged a 114 run second wicket partnership in 21 overs.

Bundela was the second batsman to be dismissed, caught by Mariano off Suresh. Six balls later, Manohar gave a return catch to Honeyman. KN Ramesh (2) also did not last long and off the last ball of the 29th over he was dismissed. Thereafter, wickets fell at regular intervals as the batsmen got the starts but could not stay long enough at the crease.

Earlier in the semi finals All India Associate Bank scored a 60 run win over State Bank of Travancore while India Cements hada facile seven wicket win against MRF.