Rajasthan Roarers roared into the quarter-finals of the Indian Junior Players League (IJPL) after beating Haryana Hurricanes by 33 runs while MP Warriors thrashed Delhi Dashers by nine wickets in another clash here on Saturday.
The key to Rajasthan's win was the sizzling start from their opening pair, Younus Ali (41 runs off 26 balls) and Keshav Sharma (33 off 33). The duo amassed 78 runs for their partnership, scoring almost nine runs per over.
However, disaster struck the Rajasthan side soon after Younus' dismissal in the ninth over and then Hurricanes struck thrice within a span of eight deliveries.
Skipper Anshul Choudhary chipped in with 16 runs off nine deliveries to help Rajasthan reach a respectable 133/6.
For Haryana, Kaliramna and Abhinav led the attack, striking two wickets each, while Kaushik bagged one wicket for 19 runs.
In reply, the Rajasthan bowlers lived up to the challenge to maintain the pressure throughout on the Haryana batsmen.
Not surprisingly, the Haryana side folded up for 101 in 19.1 overs, with Anshul causing the maximum damage with 4/22. He was ably supported by the duo of Tanwar (3/20) and Kaushik Sharma (1/10) who kept a tight lease at the other end. For Haryana, Bhankur was the highest scorer, with 28 runs off 31 deliveries.
Meanwhile, Delhi folded up for just 56 runs in 15 overs. In response, Warriors hammered their way to the winning mark in just 10.1 overs for the loss of one wicket. For the winning team, Anmol Maheshsram struck a brilliant 48 runs off 45 deliveries, while team-mates Chanda (3/1) and Prakhar (2/1) impressed with the ball.
In the final match of the day, UP Heroes trounced Mumbai Masters by six wickets. Chasing a target of 99, UP reached the required mark, losing just four wickets in 15 overs.
Ajay Lakra impressed once again with his all-round performance, scoring 24 runs off 33 deliveries and taking two wickets for 13 runs.
--IANS
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