Sonepur, May 2: Darbhanga continued their impressive run in the BCA Senior Men’s Cricket Tournament, clinching victory over Saharsa by 4 wickets, fueled by stellar performances from Manish Kumar with the ball and Bhasavan Bhardwaj and Rajesh Ranjan with the bat.
This match marked Darbhanga’s final appearance in Zone E, securing victories in all their matches to emerge as the group champions, while Saharsa faced defeat in all encounters.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss at the local railway stadium, Saharsa posted a total of 225 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the allocated 50 overs. Sagar Kumar and Zafar Imam led the batting charge with scores of 49 and an unbeaten 49 respectively. Noteworthy contributions also came from Suraj Yadav and Roshan Kumar, both scoring 18 runs, Prince Kumar with 23, Aniket Kumar with 17, Sahil Raj with 21, and Anant Mishra unbeaten at 11.
Darbhanga’s bowlers put up a commendable show, with Manish Kumar taking 4 wickets, supported by Subhash Chandra with 2 wickets, and Brij Chaudhary and Mayank Kumar with 1 wicket each.
In response, Darbhanga chased down the target, reaching 228 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 34.3 overs. Bhasavan Bhardwaj played a crucial innings, scoring 90 runs off 80 balls, adorned with 11 fours and 4 sixes, while Rajesh Ranjan contributed 70 runs off 76 balls, including 8 fours and 1 six. Altamash Ashraf chipped in with 21 runs, and Tripurari Keshav added 10 runs.
For Saharsa, Zafar Imam claimed 3 wickets, while Anant Mishra took 2 wickets.
Brief Scorecard:
Saharsa: 225 runs for nine wickets in 50 overs (Suraj Yadav 18, Roshan Kumar 18, Prince Kumar 23, Aniket Kumar 17, Sagar Kumar 49, Sahil Raj 21, Zafar Imam 49 not out, Anant Mishra 11 not out, extras 18; Subhash Chandra 2/39, Brij Chaudhary 1/47, Mayank Kumar 1/22, Manish Kumar 4/28)
Darbhanga: 228 runs for 6 wickets in 34.3 overs (Tripurari Keshav 10, Altamash Ashraf 21, Bhasavan Bhardwaj 90, Rajesh Ranjan 70, extras 23; Anant Mishra 2/46, Zafar Imam 3/39).
