Sodhi's knock helps Punjab CC enter finals

A fine half century by Reetinder Sodhi (51 not out) enabled Punjab Cricket Club defeat Bishnoi Cricket Club by three wickets and enter the final of the 7th J.P.Atray Memorial Cricket Tournament at the PCA stadium in Mohali today.

Electing to bat first, Bishnoi Cricket Club could muster only 173 runs and were bowled out in 40 overs. In reply the Punjab Cricket Club scored the required runs convicingly in the 33rd over for the loss of seven wickets.

Karnataka batsman J.Arun Kumar and Bengal all rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla opened for the Bishnoi Cricket Club in the face of a hostile spell of bowling by Gagandeep Singh and Reetinder Sodhi. Arun Kumar was caught behind while newcomer Nikhil Haldipur played on to his stumps without opening his account to leave Bishnoi two wickets down for just 11 on the board.

National Cricket Academy prodigy SS Das played some elegant shots to score his 50 off just 57 balls. He and Shukla took the team out of the woods with a third wicket partnership of 80 runs. Das who was shaping up well was caught behind off the bowling of Navdeep Singh for 53 (66 balls, 8 x 4). Shukla too departed soon for an individual contribution of 39 off 46 balls. All hopes now rested upon Gautam Gambhir but after starting off well he was caught by wicketkeeper Harminder Jugnu for 26 runs off 38 balls.

Skipper MS Arora and D Dasgupta repaired the damage to some extent and the 150 of the innings was posted at the second drinks break. After Arora (16 off 27 balls) was sixth out at 172 there was virtually a procession as wickets fell like ninepins. With the addition of just one run, four more wickets fell and the entire Bishnoi team folded up for merely 173 runs. Test discard Harbhajan Singh was the most successful bowler of the Punjab Club as he claimed three wickets for 18 runs.

Ravneet Ricky (17) and Vikram Rathour (34) who opened for Punjab Club started off confidently as they put on 55 runs in no time. The Bishnoi Club medium pacers struck a double blow as Nikhil Haldipur held two superb catches in the gully region to remove both the openers at the same score. Dinesh Mongia who had struck a century in the earlier match started off from where he left. Middling the ball well, he struck two exquisite boundaries off Shukla. However, India under-19 player Manish Sharma lost his cool and was caught in the slips off Shukla for two. Mongia also followed at the same score of 83 for 17 runs with three boundaries.

RS Sodhi and H Jagnu then added 44 runs before Jagnu fell to Tejinder Singh. With an addition of just one run on the board, Sharandeep Singh fell to Ashish Nehra caught and bowled. Punjab Club at this point was precariously placed at 128 for 6. Sodhi who kept his nerves under control took his team through to victory with three wickets to spare, scoring an unblemished half century in 53 balls studded with seven boundaries and a six.

Test player Ashish Nehra bowled his heart out with a spell of 3 for 43 in his 10 overs. Tejinder Singh and Laxmi Rattan Shukla also took two wickets each at the cost of 41 and 49 runs respectively. Reetinder Sodhi was named the Man of the Match for his all round performance