da realsbet： Eventual South Zone Ranji OD champions Karnatakacoasted to an easy six wicket victory over Andhraat the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk
da pinnacle： Anand Vasu11-Dec-2000Eventual South Zone Ranji OD champions Karnatakacoasted to an easy six wicket victory over Andhraat the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk. Onwinning the toss, Karnataka captain J Arun Kumarput Andhra in to bat, anticipating a situationwhere net run rate would play a part. If that wasthe case, Karnataka were hoping to dismiss Andhracheaply and achieve the target in quick time. Asit turned out, the net run rate did not play apart as Hyderabad lost to Goa in their anxiety toscore runs in quick time. By virtue of havingbeaten Tamil Nadu in the league phase, Karnatakawrested the KS Subbiah Pillai Trophy from holdersTamil Nadu.After putting Andhra in to bat, things did not goquite according to plan. As the Andhra batsmen,led by Amit Pathak (47) began well. The Andhraskipper has been in tremendous form off late. His47 run blast came off just 37 balls and included 9hits to the fence. Stumper LNP Reddy made 56, butspent 122 balls getting there and this probablydid not help the Andhra cause at all. Fortunatelyfor the Andhra side, KA Faiyaz improvised well,playing the ball all around the park in 47 ballinnings that yielded an unbeaten 60. In hiscompany, I Srinivas too flourished, making auseful 33. The Karnataka out fielding on the daywas patchy, and several wild throws resulted inoverthrows and helped boost the Andhra total. Atthe end of 50 overs, Andhra had made a fighting247/4.While it looked like Karnataka had little chancesof winning in quick turn, and in turn qualifyingfor the Wills Trophy, their skipper J Arunkumarseemed to know something others didn’t. Instead ofgoing all out for quick runs, Arunkumar playedhimself in and helped himself to a half century.When he eventually fell to off spinner Vatekar,Arunkumar had made 56 off 72 balls. The otherKarnataka opener Mithun Beerala too played asteady hand. Peppering the onside, Beerala made afluent 30. GK Anilkumar who made fifties in theprevious two matches he played chipped in today aswell with 30. Vijay Bharadwaj was at hisentertaining best, smiting three huge sixes in abreezy innings. After launching the off spinnersover midwicket and straight down the ground,Bharadwaj was caught at long on going for anotherhuge hit. In just 16 balls, Bharadwaj had made 25.After Bharadwaj departed, B Akhil (64) and TilakNaidu (36) guided Karnataka to a six wicketvictory with over eight overs to spare.
