Published on Aug 14
GUWAHATI: Nagaon Rangers held their nerve in a thrilling finish to edge Tezpur Titans by three runs in the Assam Premier League at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday.
Despite a sensational five-wicket haul from Prachurya Kataki, who returned the best bowling figures of the tournament so far with 5/19, Tezpur fell agonisingly short in their chase.
Batting first, Nagaon Rangers were bowled out for 123 in 19.3 overs. Jitu Ali anchored the innings with a brisk 45 off 33 balls, while Dhruv Raaj Borah chipped in with a valuable 36 off 30 deliveries.
For Tezpur, Ayushman Malakar was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for 27 runs.
Chasing 124, Tezpur Titans struggled to build momentum as Nagaon's bowlers struck at regular intervals. Roshan Topno offered resistance with a patient 31 off 35 balls, while Wasim Akram Haque injected some urgency into the chase with 21 off 14 deliveries.
With the required runs slipping out of reach, Tezpur were eventually bowled out for 120 off the final ball of the match, handing Nagaon a dramatic three-run victory.
Kataki's outstanding spell was ultimately overshadowed by Nagaon's disciplined bowling effort, as the Rangers survived a tense final over to secure a memorable win.
Brief Scores:
Nagaon Rangers: 123 in 19.3 overs (Jitu Ali 45, Dhruv Raaj Borah 36; Prachurya Kataki 5/19, Ayushman Malakar 3/27)
Tezpur Titans: 120 in 20 overs (Roshan Topno 31, Wasim Akram Haque 21; Sk Jnyanam 2/17, Sumit Kashyap 2/25, Sunil Lachit 1/20)
PHOTO CAPTION: Prachurya Kataki. (Photo courtesy: Tezpur Titans social page)


Sibsankar guides Barak to big win
GUWAHATI, AUG 14: Barak Legends produced a disciplined all-round performance to register a convincing 76-run victory over Dibrugarh in the second match of the Assam Premier League here on Friday.
Captain Sibsankar Roy was the star of the contest, leading from the front with a brilliant unbeaten half-century before returning to claim two wickets.
Invited to bat, Barak Legends lost opener Aman Singh without troubling the scorers. However, Bishal Saha and Subham Mandal steadied the innings with a valuable 64-run partnership for the second wicket. Saha scored 35 off 28 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six, while Mandal contributed 45, including two boundaries and four sixes.
Roy then took charge of the innings with an explosive unbeaten 62 off just 30 balls. His knock was decorated with six boundaries and three sixes. He received excellent support from Saurav Dey, who smashed 33 off 20 balls with three sixes, as Barak Legends posted a formidable total 181-5..
Ranjan Bikash Das was the pick of the Dibrugarh bowlers, finishing with figures of 3 for 39.
Chasing a challenging target, Dibrugarh struggled from the outset and lost wickets at regular intervals. Joy Borah waged a lone battle with a fighting 34, but received little support from the other batters. Dibrugarh were eventually bowled out for 105 in 16.4 overs.
Mohit Thakur spearheaded the Barak Legends bowling attack, claiming three wickets for just 17 runs, while captain Roy also chipped in with two wickets to complete an impressive individual performance.
With this victory Barak moved to second spot in the points table with 10 points. Guwahati are at the top spot with same point but they are ahead with better net run rate. Dibrugarh now at the third place with ten points from seven matches.
Brief scores:
Barak Legends: 181/5 in 20 overs (Sibsankar Roy 62, Subham Mandal 45, Saurav Dey 33; Ranjan Bikash Das 3/39, Sidhartha Sankar Baruah 1/23)
Dibrugarh Warriors: 105 in 16.4 overs (Jay Borah 34, Roshan Alam 15; Mohit Thakur 3/17, Bhargab Pratim Lahkar 2/22, Sibsankar Roy 2/1)