Vijay Hazare Trophy: Vidarbha, Punjab storm into the semifinals

An efficient Vidarbha outclassed Delhi by 76 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal at the BCCI CoE (2) ground here on Tuesday.

The Vidarbha batting fired first, with Yash Rathod (86), Atharva Taide (62) and Dhruv Shorey (49) playing their part to take the side to 300 for nine. 

The Delhi reply was stunted early when fast bowler Nachiket Bhute dismissed key batters Priyansh Arya (28) and Nitish Rana (0) off successive balls. Priyansh looked in good touch, until he feathered a delivery going down leg. Rana’s ambitious upper cut landed in the safe hands of R. Samarth at third-man. 

Off-spinner Harsh Dubey then went through the middle-order, leaving Delhi on 123 for five. Anuj Rawat (66, 98b, 7×4) hung around as Delhi’s last hope. The southpaw was circumspect even as the asking rate rose to ten an over. Rawat’s plan to leave the big hitting to the end failed, as he top-edged a slower ball from Praful Hinge to cover in the 43rd over.

In the other quarterfinal at the BCCI CoE (1), Punjab whipped Madhya Pradesh by 183 runs. After being put in to bat, Punjab played with positive intent from the get-go. The top-three – Harnoor Singh (51, 71b, 7×4, 1×6), Prabhsimran Singh (88, 86b, 10×4, 2×6) and Anmolpreet Singh (70, 62b, 8×4, 2×6) – laid the perfect start.

Nehal Wadhera (56, 38b, 8×4, 1×6) and Ramandeep Singh (24 n.o., 15b, 1×4, 1×6) had the license to go for the kill in the death.

Madhya Pradesh had perhaps expected the pitch to aid seamers, as it did at this venue on Monday. But with the sun out, unlike overcast conditions seen the previous day, it was the batters who called the shots.

Madhya Pradesh caved in meekly on a friendly pitch, falling to 83 for six inside 20 overs. Expectations were high when captain Venkatesh Iyer joined Rajat Patidar at the fall of the third wicket, but Venkatesh lasted all of two balls. Venkatesh played down the wrong line to seamer Sanvir Singh, and was adjudged leg-before.

When Patidar was sent back trying to up the scoring rate, the writing was on the wall for Madhya Pradesh.

Karnataka will face Vidarbha in the semifinal here on Thursday, while Punjab battles Saurashtra on Friday.

The scores: Punjab 345/6 in 50 overs (Harnoor Singh 51, Prabhsimran Singh 88, Anmolpreet Singh 70, Nehal Wadhera 56) bt Madhya Pradesh 162 in 31.2 overs. 

Vidarbha 300/9 in 50 overs (Atharva Taide 62, Dhruv Shorey 49, Yash Rathod 86) bt Delhi 224 in 45.1 overs (Anuj Rawat 66, Nachiket Bhute 4/51).