The Hindu : Air India first to make final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 26, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Air India first to make final

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA APRIL 25. Five suicidal run outs by Eastern Railway enabled the defending champion Air India to win its concluding league match of the fourth all-India L.P. Ganguly limited overs women's cricket tournament here on Thursday. The four-wicket triumph meant the Mumbai side topped the league standing with an all-win record and advanced into the Sunday's final.

In the other game, Western Railway, also from Mumbai, won its second consecutive match beating South Central Railway, Secunderabad, by nine wickets to set up a virtual semifinal clash against Eastern Railway on Friday. The winner of this game would go through to the final to challenge Air India.

South Central, like Bengal, lost its third straight match to go out of the tournament. These two teams would play tomorrow in an insignificant tie.

Put in to bat in a 26-over-a-side game owing to overnight rain, Eastern Railway looked like cruising towards a challenging total when the first of the five run outs was effected. Shyama Shaw went out at 86, Neetu Singh at 87, Seema Desai at 88, Purnima Chowdhury at 88 and Sahena Praveen at 100. From 100 for six, Eastern was all out for 114 in 23.5 overs. Left-arm spinner Usha Bhogade bagged the remainingt four wickets conceding 22 runs in 5.5 overs.

Air India too was in a tight situation but evergreen Purnima Rau, former India captain and one of the most dedicated player in the country, came out blazing with a tremendous unbeaten 66 in 55 balls with the aid of six 4s and two 6s, the last one coming when the scores were equal at 114. Air India ended at 120 for six in 25 overs and Purnima was adjudged the woman of the match.

South Central's over dependence on Mithali Raj proved the team's failing. When she went out cheaply, South Central collapsed to 62 in 27.3 overs in a game curtailed to 30 overs each. Medium pacer Vandana Gupta picked up three for eight and off-spinner Seema Pujare came up with two for 14.

Western needed just 12.3 overs to knock off the winning runs for the loss of one wicket. Wicketkeeper and opening batswoman Sulakshna Naik cracked an unbeaten 28 in 32 balls with six 4s. Western won by nine wickets and Vandana was declared the woman of the match.

The scores:

Eastern Railway 114 in 23.5 overs (Seema Singh 49, Usha Bhogade four for 22) lost to Air India 120 for six in 25 overs (Purnima Rau 63 n.o.).

South Central Railway 62 in 27.3 overs (Vandana Gupta three for 8) lost to Western Railway 63 for one in 12.3 overs (Sulakshna Naik 28 n.o.).

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