Minnows Tripura earned a well-deserved 53-run victory over heavyweights Mumbai in a rain-affected group A league match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Sunday. Despite the loss, Mumbai are firmly on course for a quarter-final berth as they are still on top of the group with 20 points from six games and a match left. (Points Table | More Cricket News)
Batting first, Tripura scored a competitive 288 for 5 in 50 overs. In reply, Mumbai's revised target was 265 in 43 overs, courtesy VJD method used as rain-rule for domestic games.
But Tripura did well to bowl out Ajinkya Rahane's side for 211 in 40.3 overs with seamer Manisankar Murasingh finishing with 4 for 23 in 8.4 overs after having a smashed a half-century in the morning.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane scored 78 off 84 balls but against a not-so-formidable Tripura attack, the former India skipper never looked comfortable.
When Tripura batted, opener Bikramkumar Das (70), former Bengal southpaw Sudip Chatterjee (60) and veteran Ganesh Sathish (50) scored half-centuries but the innings got impetus because of a quick-fire 26-ball-55 from all-rounder Manisankar Murasingh. His innings had five fours and three sixes.
Tushar Deshpande, who recently received an India 'A' call-up took 2 for 57 in 10 overs.
Brief Scores: Tripura 288/5 in 50 overs (Bikram Das 70, Sudip Chatterjee 60, G Sathish 50, MB Murasingh 55, Tushar Deshpande 2/57). Mumbai (target 265 in 43 overs) (Ajinkya Rahane 78, MB Murasingh 4/23).
Delhi ride on Himmat's hundred but still in woods
In Ahmedabad, Himmat Singh blazed his way to an unbeaten 132 off 100 balls as Delhi beat Chandigarh by 69 runs but will still find it difficult to make it to quarter-final of the national one day championship, with just 12 points after six games and only a match left.
On the day, Delhi were down at 80 for four, but Himmat and Lakshay Thareja (66 off 78 balls) added 199 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand to take winners to 279 for 4 in 50 overs.
Himmat's innings had 10 fours and six sixes while glovesman Thareja had six fours in his second fiddle.
In reply, Chandigarh was all-out for 210 in 44.2 overs with India 'A' duo of Navdeep Saini and Harshit Rana getting three wickets apiece.
Brief Scores:
Delhi 279/4 in 50 overs (Himmat Singh 132 not out).
Chandigarh 210 in 44.2 overs (Navdeep Saini 3/35, Harshit Rana 3/43).