Young pacer Basil Thampi returned with a four-wicket haul before Sanju Samson blasted an unbeaten half-century as Kerela notched up a eight-wicket win over Tripura in a Group B Twenty20 match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here today.
Electing to field, Kerela rode on Thampi who dismissed SM Singha (6), BB Roy (1), SS Majumder (16) and NN Sen (0) to shot out Tripura for 111 in 19.5 overs.
They then returned to overhaul the target, scoring 113 for two with 3.5 overs to spare, courtesy a 96-run second wicket stand between Samson and PR Prem (40) at St Paul's College Ground.
Earlier put into bat, Tripura struggled to accumulate runs as wickets kept falling regularly with Udiyan Bose (35) emerging as the top-scorer.
For Kerela, S Sandeep Warrier (2/26) picked two wickets, while R V Gomez (1/17), P Prasanth (1/19) and VA Jagadeesh (1/18) scalped one each.
Chasing 112 to win, Kerela recovered from the loss of their opener VA Jagadeesh (1) in the first over as Samson and Prem took them on the threshhold of victory, reaching 98 in 14.4 overs when the latter lost his wicket to Paul.
Samson then took the team home. He blasted three fours and as many sixes in his 49-ball innings. Prem's 39-ball innings was studded with four boundaries and one six.
Brief Score:
Tripura: 111 in 19.5 overs (U Bose 35; B Thampi 4/15)
Kerala: 113/2 in 16.1 overs (S Samson 56; M B Murasingh 1/17).
