Sport - Cricket

Lions gets the better of Tigers

GURGAON: Rocked by the suspension of Dinesh Mongia and Chris Cairns from its ranks, Chandigarh Lions regrouped in time to score an eight-victory over Royal Bengal Tigers in the Indian Cricket League match at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex on Tuesday night.

Mongia and Cairns were punished for “indiscipline and lack of commitment” but Lions did not allow the unfortunate development to have any impact on its morale. The victory, third in four matches, kept it on course for a semifinal berth as Tejinder Pal Singh played the match-winning role to perfection.

Opting to field, Lions restricted Tigers to 140 for nine and then knocked off the runs with 15 balls to spare. T.P. Singh took only 48 balls to make his unbeaten 74 with eight fours and two sixes.

Hamish Marshall was the lone performer for Tigers, which had won its last match against Dhaka Warriors comfortably. Marshall whipped 57 off 35 balls with eight fours and two sixes but the rest of the batsmen came a cropper.

On Monday, Warriors handed Mumbai Champs its fifth successive defeat. For Warriors, this was its second win in five matches. The Champs innings was rocked early and it was reduced to 77 for six before Ranjit Khirid swung the bat with purpose to carve a 25-ball 51 with the help of four fours and four sixes.

Riding on the excellent form of Alok Kapali, Warriors raced to the target after opener Shahriar Nafees slammed a brilliant 57 off 40 balls with nine fours and a six. Kapali, the Man-of-the-Match, finished the innings in style. His unbeaten 48 off 35 balls included four fours and three sixes.

The scores: Royal Bengal Tigers 140 for nine in 20 overs (Hamish Marshall 57) lost to Chandigarh Lions 141 for two in 17.3 overs (T.P. Singh 74 n.o.).

On Monday: Mumbai Champs 151 for six in 20 overs (Ranjit Khirid 51 n.o.) lost to Dhaka Warriors 155 for four in 18.4 overs (Shahriar Nafees 57, Alok Kapali 48 n.o.).

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