Easy win for West Zone

It is now placed on top of the table with 14 points

GOOD SHOW: Pankaj Dharmani came up with an unbeaten knock on Sunday. — Photo: Vivek Bendre

Mumbai: Launching a relentless onslaught on an opponent looking clueless, West Zone raced to a thumping seven-wicket win over North Zone and gained five points in the All Star Series Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday. West Zone is now placed on top of the table with 14 points.It was classic batsmanship by Wasim Jaffer and Yusuf Pathan and Ramesh Powar's robust hitting that helped West to its third win in as many matches. Clumsy work in the field in a large way contributed to North's misery.First, Paras Dogra and Bipul Sharma made a mess of a skier offered by Pathan and thereafter Gautam Gambhir was lax while trying to convert catches at square leg and mid-on. Pathan was reprieved on 25, 58, 64 before off-spinner Sarandeep Singh held a full-blooded straight hit.
By the time North effected a first breakthrough, West had already posted 135 and was placed in a commanding situation. Pathan struck eleven fours in his 58-ball 68 after which Powar smashed eight fours and one towering six in his 27-ball 40.
Rousing stand
Earlier, thanks to a rousing 97-run stand for the undefeated seventh wicket between the persevering Pankaj Dharmani and Bipual Sharma, North managed to post a total in excess off 250.Coming at the fall of Jogindeer Sharma, the Punjab allrounder Bipual cut loose to make a a 44-ball 56 with two fours and three sixes, the third one being struck off Rakesh Patel in the last ball of the innings.North skipper Dinesh Mongia, taking guard in the third ball of the match, cut and pulled to compile 41 runs. But once he essayed an ambitious shot off Abhishek Nayar and edged to the keeper, the North middle order came apart with Powar and leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule taking three wickets between them.
The scores: North Zone: K. Goel c P. Patel b R. Patel 0, G. Gambhir c Shah b Trivedi 7, D. Mongia c P. Patel b Nayar 41, S. Dhawan lbw b Powar 20, P. Dharmani (not out) 77, P. Dogra c Trivedi b Powar 1, J. Sharma c Trivedi b Bahutule 36, B. Sharma (not out) 56, Extras (lb-2, w-12) 14, Total (for 6 wkts in 50 overs) 252.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-33, 3-62, 4-82, 5-90, 6-155
West bowling: R. Patel 10-0-56-1, Trivedi 10-1-51-1, Powar 10-1-40-2, Nayar 8-0-36-1, Bahutule 7-0-33-1, Y. Pathan 5-0-34-0.
West Zone: W. Jaffer run out (Dogra) 63, Y. Pathan c & B Sarandeep 68, R. Powar c Dogra b V.R.V. Singh 40, A. Muzumdar (not out) 28, R. Sharma (not out) 24, Extras (lb-9, nb-12, w- 9) 30; Total (for 3 wkts in 35.2 overs) 253.
Fall of wickets: 1-135, 2-191, 3-198.
North bowling: Nehra 8-0-52-0, V. R. V. Singh 8-0-58-1, Mongia 2-0-9-0, Bipul Sharma 9.2-0-68-0, Joginder 1-0-11-0, Sarandeep 7-0-46-1.

courtesy:timesofindia