Vijay Hazare Trophy 2017-18, Quarter Final, Day 2- Round Up

The day two of the quarterfinals in the premier 50 over tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy has produced two winners with a fantastic exhibition of fast bowling, as Andra and Saurashtra moseyed home to book their respective berth in the semis which is scheduled to take place at the Feroz Shah Kotla on 25th February (Sunday). On the other hand, both Delhi and Baroda were throttled and had no answers whatsoever for the stupendous display shown by the opposition.

The only unbeaten side in the tournament so far Andhra once again stamped their authority against the host Delhi. The smog continued to affect the display in Delhi which eventually had delayed the start. The game was further reduced to 49-overs-per-side with Andhra winning the toss and inserting the opposition to bat first. The moisture on the wicket helped Andra to dominate the start as the wickets kept tumbling for Delhi and were bowled out for a mere score of 111.

In reply, Andra’s top-order found it difficult to put the right foot forward as the Palam A wicket eventually became a two pace track, with many deliveries keeping low. However, the target of 111 helped them to take their time and play to their strengths. Andra Team achieved the score in 28 overs with Ashwin Hebbar scoring 38 runs.

The second game helped populous to witness twists and turns but in the end, it was Saurashtra team who held their nerve to clinch a three-wicket win over Baroda. Winning the toss and opting to bat first, wasn’t the most likeable decision made by the Baroda skipper Deepak Hooda as their top-order failed to execute the plans and had to pay the price.

However, after losing 7 wickets for 105, Baroda Team showed some intent as the batting all-rounder Krunal Pandya and number nine batsman Soaeb Tai put up a partnership of 97 runs together. Chasing 247, Saurashtra team needed only a batsman to step up and for them, it was their opener Avi Barot who played some scintillating shots for his 82 runs to seal a semi-final date against Andhra on Sunday.

Brief Scores

Andhra v Delhi

Delhi: 111/10 in 32.1 overs (R Pant 38; Sivakumar 4/29)

Andhra: 112/4 in 28.4 overs (Hebbar 38; Ishant Sharma 1/11)

Saurashtra v Baroda

Baroda: 247/8 in 50 overs (Soaeb Tai 72; Chirag 4/35)

Saurashtra: 251/7 in 48.4 overs (A Barot 82; Atit Sheth 3/38)

Semi-final lineups

Maharashtra vs Karnataka (Saturday, Feb. 24)

Andhra vs Saurashtra (Sunday, Feb. 25)