Published on Aug 5
GUWAHATI: Dibrugarh Warriors maintained their unbeaten run in the Assam Premier League with a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Charaideo Sunrisers at the ACA Stadium here on Wednesday. The win, their third on the trot, lifted Dibrugarh to the top of the points table with six points from three matches.
Dibrugarh's bowlers laid the foundation for the victory by bowling out Charaideo Sunrisers for 120 in 19.1 overs. However, the chase got off to a disastrous start as the Warriors slumped to 3/3, losing Ronit Akhtar, Parvej Musaraf and Diwiz Pathak quickly.
Ayush Agarwal then anchored the innings with a composed 45 off 44 balls before stitching together a crucial 88-run partnership with Rituraj Biswas to revive the chase. Biswas matched Agarwal's contribution with a well-crafted 45 off 44 deliveries as the duo steered the innings back on track.
Although Charaideo struck twice in the closing stages through Mayukh Hazarika and Reshabh Dipak, Dibrugarh captain Saahil Jain remained unbeaten on a brisk 18 off just eight balls to keep his side in control. Sidhartha Sankar Baruah provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten eight as Dibrugarh reached 121/5 in 17.5 overs, sealing a hard-earned five-wicket victory.
Earlier opting to field first, Dibrugarh Warriors made early inroads through Doikho Das, who removed Pradyun Saikia and Kirti Azad before adding the wicket of Reshabh Dipak to leave the Sunrisers reeling. Hrishikesh Tamuli (22) and skipper Sumit Ghadigaonkar (17) attempted to rebuild, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Soumya Kanti Paul provided the lone bright spark with a counter-attacking 46 off just 29 balls, striking three fours and three sixes to lift Charaideo to 120 in 19.1 overs. Doikho Das starred with 4/33, while Roshan Alam returned excellent figures of 3/16.
Brief Scores: Charaideo Sunrisers: 120 in 19.1 overs (Soumya Kanti Paul 46, Hrishikesh Tamuli 22; Doikho Das 4/33, Roshan Alam 3/16, Jitumoni Kalita 1/15). Dibrugarh Warriors: 121/5 in 17.5 overs (Ayush Agarwal 45, Rituraj Biswas 45, Saahil Jain 18*; Dibakar Johori 2/30, Mayukh Hazarika 2/19)
PHOTO CAPTION: Doikho Das in action