By Norbert Abbi
Results Summary
Kutchi Tigers CC 348/5 in 50 overs (Ronak Patel 102 not out, Dinesh Nakrani 84 off 73) beat Premier CC 158/10 in 30.5 overs (Ronald Opio 46 off 45, Philip Arinaitwe 23 in 15) by 190 runs
Man of Match: Ronak Patel (102 not out off 82 balls)
After their loss on sunday to Kutchi Tigers, Premier will need a miracle in their remaining games of the season if they are to survive the drop back to Division Two.
The Tigers won the toss and elected to bat first as has always been the norm each time. Like an assassin stealing away in broad daylight after a kill, the Tigers struck with precision and finesse to finish off Premier and deepen their relegation woes. They set a hefty 348 runs and lost only 5 wickets in the process.
The innings got off to a fine start with Nanji Pindorya (27 in 43) and Ankit Patel (49 in 54) setting up a 77 run partnership for the first wicket stand. Nanji fell just before the break and Ankit in a rush to get to 50, cheaply gave away his wicket when he tried to take a non-existent single with the ball within the 15 yard. These two wickets were quickly followed by another two to leave the Tigers at 115 for 4 in 21 overs.
Premier’s joy was however short lived when Dinesh Nakrani (84 off 73) and Ronak Patel (102 not out) paired up on the crease for a fifth wicket partnership of 149 runs in 128 balls. Premier were forced to rue their missed chances and they put the pair down one too many times. The pair then went on to school their opponents in the ways of batting like they have never before until Dinesh’s demise.
Dhansuk Jesani (23 in 21) walked in moments later and played the support role in an 84 run partnership stand with Ronak Patel who eventually got his century in the very last over of the innings. The pair’s partnership was the second highest of the game and came off 52 balls largely thanks to a woeful fielding from Premier.
The second innings got off to a fine start for Premier with youngster Ronald Opio applying the pressure on the Tigers bowlers in bits. Opio got to 46 in as many balls mixing patience and ferocity in his batting but unfortunately the same could not be said for his partners on the other end. By the time his wicket fell with the team at 75 in 14 overs, he had already seen off 3 of his colleagues to cheaply gave away their wickets.
With the fall of Opio’s wicket, Premier only mustered another 83 runs for 6 wickets to see them bowled out at 158, 190 runs shy of the target. To say Premier have hit rock bottom would be a true reflection of their position on the Division One log. The Tigers’ win sees the draw further away from Challengers but still left in the never unsettling dust of runaway table leaders Aziz Damani.
