Purnia, May 2: In a thrilling encounter held at the local Green Valley, Gulabbagh, Purnia emerged victorious over Katihar by a narrow margin of 7 runs in the BCA Senior Men’s Cricket Tournament organized by the Bihar Cricket Association. The win was fueled by Abhishek Babu’s stellar innings of 94 runs and Nitin Sah’s contribution of 56 runs.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, Purnia’s captain Sufiyan led his team to a commendable total of 264 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs. Nitin Sah played a crucial knock of 56 runs, supported by Abhishek Babu’s explosive innings, which yielded 94 runs, embellished with 5 fours and 5 sixes. Abhishek Chaudhary added 33 runs, while Sufiyan and Shishir Shaket contributed 23 and 29 runs respectively. Katihar’s bowling attack saw Ayush Kumar, Harsh Nanda, and Peter Marandi claiming 2 wickets each.
In pursuit of the target, Katihar’s batting effort fell just short as they managed to score 257 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Ashwini Kumar top-scored with 69 runs, followed by Suraj Kumar with 41 runs, and Hazrat Ali with 34 runs. Sujit Kumar’s unbeaten 46 runs provided late resistance. Purnia’s bowlers put up a disciplined performance, with Vachaspati, Aamir Masood, and Shishir Shaket each claiming 2 wickets.
Brief Scorecard:
Purnia: 264 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs (Nitin Shah 56, Shishir Saket 29, Abhishek Kumar Babu 94, Abhishek Chaudhary 33, Sufiyan 23, extras 18; Ayush Kumar 2/24, Harsh Nanda 2/51, Peter Maradi 2/41)
Katihar: 257 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs (Ashwini Kumar 69, Suraj Kumar 41, Hazrat Ali 34, Sujit Kumar 46 not out, extras 15; Vachaspati 2/38, Aamir Masood 2/45, Shishir Saket 2/36)
