Uttarakhand Premier League 2024, Match 10 Review: Nainital SG Pipers book Eliminator spot

Dehradun, 20 September 2024: In the evening match of an action-packed Friday, the Nainital SG Pipers overcame the challenge posed by the Pithoragarh Hurricanes, securing a seven-wicket victory with just three balls to spare in their last league encounter of the Uttarakhand Premier League 2024.

With a spot in the eliminator on the line, the Nainital SG Pipers started their chase of 169 in impressive fashion, scoring 13 runs in the opening over. However, they quickly suffered a setback, losing their star opener, Avneesh Sudha, in the very next over. Kartik Bhatt and Priyanshu Khanduri then took a more cautious approach, focusing on rebuilding the innings.

At the 10-over mark, they had pushed the team’s total to 90/1, keeping their chase on course. However, in the very next over, Sunny Kashyap disrupted the strong partnership by dismissing Kartik Bhatt, who had scored 40 off 31 balls.

Later, Bhanu Pratap Singh shared a much-needed stand with Priyanshu Khanduri, adding 55 runs for the third wicket before the former was dismissed for 33.

The in-form Priyanshu Khanduri was the star of Nainital’s chase, showcasing his batting brilliance, and top-scoring for his side with a match-defining 62* from 44 balls. The Pithoragarh Hurricanes had already secured their place in Saturday's eliminator after the strong USN Indians defeated the Dehradun Warriors in Friday’s afternoon match. The race for the second spot in the eliminator was between the Nainital SG Pipers and the Dehradun Warriors.

Before the game, the situation was clear: if the Nainital SG Pipers won, they would qualify with four points. However, if they lost, they would tie with the Dehradun Warriors on two points, and the decision would then depend on the Net Run Rate.

After being sent in to bat first by Nainital, the Pithoragarh Hurricanes lost their opener, Ashish Joshi (0) and No.3 batsman Aaditya Naithani (18) inside the Powerplay. Just as the partnership between opener Nikhil Harsh and Neeraj Rathour began to gain momentum, Naveen Kumar Singh from the Nainital SG Pipers struck twice in the ninth over, halting their progress.

The wickets kept falling as Pithoragarh lost two more in the 12th over, including the crucial dismissal of a well-set Nikhil Harsh, who was out after scoring 37 runs off 29 balls. Vishal Kashyap anchored the innings with a composed 40 off 30 balls, while valuable contributions from Parmender Chadda (17 off 15) and Priyank Singh (a quickfire 23 off 9) helped lift the team’s total to 168/9.

Earlier in the Women's match, the Mussoorie Thunders secured their spot in the final, where they will face the Nainital SG Pipers on Saturday evening.