Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy | Mhatres scintillating century sets up Mumbais dominant win over Andhra

Ayush Mhatre’s scintillating second successive century made it three wins in three games for Mumbai, which romped to a nine-wicket win against Andhra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

The 18-year-old proved that his maiden T20 ton two days ago was no flash in the pan. He got into the act early in the 160-run chase, depositing a length ball over square-leg, his diminutive frame still as ever at the crease.

He read the lengths early, lofting pacer C.V. Stephen over long-off for a six and then pulling him over midwicket next ball for another maximum. While he continued to flay the bowlers down the ground, he also displayed his range on the off-side, reaching his fifty off 33 balls with a slash over cover, and ushering in his 58-ball ton and Mumbai’s victory with back-to-back fours to the third-man fence.

Earlier, Tushar Deshpande’s three wickets in the PowerPlay dented Andhra early. Captain Ricky Bhui and S.D.N.V. Prasad’s 65-run alliance for the sixth wicket lent Andhra’s total respectability, but it wasn’t enough to withstand Mhatre’s onslaught.

It was a day of breezy run chases. Sanju Samson’s barrage of sixes saw Kerala dismantle Chhattisgarh by eight wickets at the same venue.

Samson launched the innings with a first-ball six and tonked left-arm spinner Ajay Mandal for three successive maximums in the next over. Rohan Kunnummal took a cue from his skipper, smashing seamer Sourabh Majumdar for two sixes and a four in the following over.

Samson’s tryst with sixes continued as he swatted pacer Ravi Kiran over fine-leg before his mistimed pull found deep midwicket. However, with 84 runs coming in the PowerPlay, Kerala’s win was all but sealed. After Samson opted to bowl on a red-soil pitch offering generous bounce, Sharafuddeen accounted for Ayush Pandey’s wicket in the first over. K.M. Asif moved the ball both ways to dismiss Shashank Chandrakar and Shashank Singh off consecutive deliveries. Captain Amandeep Khare and Sanjeet Desai resisted with a 51-run stand for the fourth wicket before Chhattisgarh was caught in the spin web of Ankit Sharma and debutant Vignesh Puthur.