The Hitavada scrape into SF

REIGNING champions The Hitavada overcame Tarun Bharat scare in a must win tie as they wobbled to post a five-wicket win off the penultimate ball to make it to the semi-finals of the 12th Orange City Hospital Cup Inter-Press Invitational Twenty20 Cricket Tournament at Ajni ground on Sunday.
With nine runs required in the last over, The Hitavada’s seasoned campaigners Rahul Dixit (7*; 6b, 4x1) and Hitesh Limbachia (4*, 3b) kept their cool to guide the team home with a ball to spare.
Chasing a modest target of 128 runs, The Hitavada openers Kamlesh Wagire (21; 17b, 3x4) and Anupam Timothy (43; 54b, 3x4) opted to play it safe, nudging the balls for ones and twos. Wagire though got out stumped just after drinks in his bid to increase the run rate. Tarun Bharat’s Sandeep Gadge then got the big fish as Praveen Lokhande was held at deep cover by Vikas Barokar.
Timothy at the other end kept things simple by working the balls through the gaps. His couple of subdued stands—first with Nikhil Dixit (14; 15b, 4x1) and the other along with skipper Susheem Kolay (24; 22b, 4x3)—took The Hitavada closer. However, Tarun Bharat crawled back in the game picking up Timothy and Kolay in quick succession.
Earlier, Timothy bowled a precise line to claim a five-wicket haul giving away just nine runs in his four tight overs as Tarun Bharat managed 127 for six wickets in 20 overs.
Southpaw skipper Barokar anchored the Tarun Bharat innings with a gutsy unbeaten 64 off 55 balls. He bejewelled his innings with five fours and a six. Ravi Daff contributed 39 runs which included five fours and a six.
In an inconsequential Group Y match, Rupesh Bhaik hammered a 16-ball 46 runs as Times of India (ToI) thrashed Loksatta by seven wickets at Dr Ambedkar College ground, Deekshabhoomi.
Riding on superb contributions from Uday Rangnath (48; 42b, 4x6), Piyush Patil (49*; 40b, 4x4) and Amol Sultane (36*; 17b, 4x4), Loksatta piled up 156 runs for three wickets. ToI run chase got the impetus thanks to Bhaik’s thunderous innings which had six fours and three huge sixes. Yogesh Banait (53; 36b, 4x5, 6x2) knocked a half ton while Sandeep Dhabekar (26*; 35b, 4x2) played his part as well.
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Semi-finals line-up
Match Timing
Loksatta vs Lokmat 9 am
The Hitavada vs ToI 1 pm

Both the semi-finals will be played on Tuesday at Dr Ambedkar College ground, Deekshabhoomi.

PICS S SUDARSHAN