Kolkata , December 18 : Out-of-favour India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh powered Punjab chase 324 runs with a quickfire 98 as his team defeated Services by three wickets and qualify for the knockout stages of the Vijay Hazare cricket tournament, here on Friday. Opting to bowl, Punjab saw Services pile up 323 for seven with the help of twin centuries by Nakul Verma (113) and Soumya Swain (101) in the stipulated overs at the Railways Recreation Club Ground. Verma hit nine boundaries and a six in his 125-ball knock, while Swain needed just 90 balls to score his runs and struck 10 fours. In reply, Punjab were off to a solid start with openers Pargat Singh (49 off 39 balls) and Jiwanjot Singh (41 off 35) adding 82 runs for the first wicket in 10 overs. Mandeep Singh made 45 off 56 balls, while Mayank Sidhana scored 46 runs off 49 deliveries.However, it was Yuvraj who anchored the chase before skipper Harbhajan (16 not out) and Gitansh Khera (13) took the team past the daunting target. Yuvraj smashed eight boundaries and four sixes, facing 83 balls.
Unmukt Chand smashed an unbeaten 118 off 99 balls to fire Delhi to a nine-wicket win over Andhra and reach the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Friday.
Delhi ended Group C in second spot, having earned 12 points from five wins in six matches. Vidarbha topped the group with 12 points on a better run-rate. Thanks to the fireworks provided by Chand, Delhi made short work of the 184-run target, reaching home in 34.1 overs. Andhra ended their innings at 183 with left-arm spinner Pawan Negi (3/29) being the pick of Delhi bowlers. Chand hit top form after failing in his last three innings. His sublime knock comprised 14 fours and four sixes.Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir was run out after making 30 runs off 60 balls. The southpaw’s 67 against Odisha was his sole fifty plus knock in the league stage. Chand had the company of Himmat Singh (29 not out off 46) towards the end of the successful chase.
In another match in Delhi Umesh Yadav shinedwith the ball to take Vidarbha to the quarterfinals .Vidarbha, opting to bowl, dismissed Maharashtra for 183 with Umesh Yadav (3/24) and Akshay Karnewar (4/43) doing the maximum damage. They chased down the target in 47 overs in what was a 49-overs-a-side contest. Ganesh Satish top scored for Vidarbha with 71 runs.
Dinesh Karthik , Baba Aparajith scored hundreds to help Tamil Nadu qualify for the quarters .Karthik scored 108 while Baba Aparajith scored 137 runs ,as Tamil Nadu registered a massive 252-run victory over Rajasthan in their Group A Vijay Hazare Trophy cricket match in Secunderabad . Tamil Nadu put up a mammoth 384 for seven in the stipulated 50 overs, and then bundled out hapless Rajasthan for 132 in 26.2 overs to qualify for the knockouts as group topper. Medium pacer Shah was the star performer with the ball for Tamil Nadu, returning excellent figures of six for 37 in 8.2 overs. Sent into bat at Tamil Nadu rode on a 199-run partnership for the second wicket between Karthik and Aparajith to reach a comfortable 218 for two in the 35th over. Aparajith then added 108 runs for the fourth wicket with Murali Vijay, who smashed 74 off a mere 44 balls with the help of six boundaries and three sixes. Karthik hit 12 fours and a six in his 97-ball knock, while Aparajith found the fence 13 times while facing 122 deliveries as Tamil Nadu, who have won five out of the six matches, posted a mammoth total.
Riding on a strong batting show, Himachal Pradesh secured a place in the knockout stage too as they won their last Group D match against Madhya Pradesh by 41 runs . Rishi Dhawan struck an unbeaten 117 while Robin Bisht scored 84 as Himachal Pradesh put on board 295 for five after being invited to bat.
Dhawan hit 13 boundaries in his 88-ball fiery knock. HP bowled out Madhya Pradesh for 254 and finished on top of the table with four wins from five matches.The other team to qualify for the knockout stage was Uttar Pradesh, who finished second in Group. UP also had four wins to show but Himachal’s NRR was better. Medium paceman Pankaj Jaiswal wreaked havoc with his six-wicket haul as he ripped apart the top and middle order of Madhya Pradesh.
Quarter Final Line Up :
Dec 23 Jharkhand vs Delhi
Dec 23 Himachal Pradesh vs Punjab
Dec 24 Vidarbha vs Gujarat
Dec 24 Uttar Pradesh vs Tamil Nadu