Date:07/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/07/stories/2008030760622000.htm

Sport - Cricket

The Hindu in semifinals

VISAKHAPATNAM: Holder The Hindu sailed into the semifinals of the third CMR-VJF inter-media cricket tournament with a 52-run win over Vaarta at the Railway stadium here on Wednesday.

Runner-up Deccan Chronicle scored an easy eight-wicket win over Press Photographers XI to make the last four.

The Hindu, electing to bat, made 163 for seven in 20 overs with captain Sumit Bhattacharjee (38, 7x4) and G. Gangadhar (22, 3x4) putting on 72 runs in their opening wicket stand. Later, Ch. Sri Raghuram (22, 3x4) and S.L.B. Ramakrishna (27, 3x4, 1x6) added 40 for the fifth wicket. Kondala Rao took two wickets for Vaarta.

Vaarta was restricted to 111 for nine with Sumit and D. Ravikumar claiming two wickets each and S.K.A. Hussain and Siddhartha one each. Srinivas (27, 4x4) and Gangadhar (19, 3x4) were the main scorers for Vaarta. Sumit Bhattacharjee was declared Man of the Match.

Deccan Chronicle restricted Photographers to 109. D. Srinivasa Reddy picked up four wickets while Shankar and Madhava Rao had two each. Ganesh (30, 4x4) was the top-scorer for Photographers while Ravi (19, 3x4) and Pydi Raju (17, 2x4) entered double figures.

DC reached the target in just 11.1 overs with Ravi Shankar (46 not out, 6x4) and Madhava Rao (24 not out, 4x4) scoring freely.

Nawaz picked the two wickets that fell. Madhava Rao was Man of the Match.

The Hindu takes on Andhra Jyoti in the first semifinal at the Railway stadium on March 7 while DC faces Eenadu on March 8 at the Port Stadium.

The scores:

The Hindu 163 for seven in 20 overs (Sumit Bhattacharjee 38, S.L.B. Ramakrishna 27, Ch. Sri Raghuram 25) bt Vaarta 111 for nine (Srinivas 27).

Press Photographers XI 109 in 19 overs (Ganesh 30, D. Srinivasa Reddy four for 18) lost to Deccan Chronicle 112 for two in 11.1 overs (Ravi Shankar 46 n.o.). — Special Correspondent