ONGC pip PCA Colts in thriller

Experience prevailed over youth as the star studded ONGC team pipped PCA Colts XI by two wickets in the 7th JP Atray Memorial cricket tournament at the PCA Stadium in Chandigarh today.

The PCA Colts piled up a huge total of 318 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 50 overs. However ONGC managed to overhaul this challenging total for the loss of eight wickets with one over to spare.

The Colts team opened through Gaganinder Garry and Ankur Kakkar. The opening pair started off slowly, scoring 45 runs in the first 10 overs. Garry was first to go as he has caught brilliantly at gully, trying to cut a short delivery.

Yuvraj Singh and Kakkar were in good nick. Yuvraj, fresh from his inclusion in the Indian team for the Nairobi tournament, placed the ball neatly in the gaps. His knock of 60 included 10 elegant boundaries. Trying to boost the scoring rate further, he was stumped off the bowling of Virinder Shewag. By then he had put his team in a strong position as they were 142 runs after 26 overs for the loss of only two wickets.

Kakkar carried on merrily at the other end and completed his 50 off 72 balls. The brightest part of the innings came when Pankaj Dharmani and Sanjay Kumar came together at the crease with the score at 190 at the end of 35 overs. The two added 96 runs off just 77 balls. Dharmani was in full flow as he smashed an unbeaten 96 off just 76 deliveries. He hit 12 powerful boundaries and a huge six. Sanjay Kumar gave him good support in smashing 50 runs off 45 balls.

ONGC XI got off to a flying start as openers Gagan Khoda and Sandeep Sharma hammered 80 runs off just 56 balls. Sandeep was in fine form, slamming 50 runs off just 29 balls which included nine hits to the fence. Khoda also scored at a run a ball for his knock of 34. After the fall of these two wickets, ONGC lost three more wickets cheaply and they were down in the dumps at 117 for five. Mithun Minhas and Shewag however took the team out of the woods. Both scored half centuries to take the team to the doorstep of victory. Towards the end Md. Saif took charge with an unblemished 52 runs off 62 balls to clinch the issue in favour of his team. Yuvraj Singh and Vineet Kumar tried their level best to change the course of the match in their favour, but despite capturing three wickets each for 47 and 66 runs respectively, they could not. Shewag was declared man of the match.