In the semifinal of the Late Motiram U-15 Cricket Tournament held at Sapru ground in Kanpur on Tuesday, Arun Awasthi XI secured a thrilling 2-wicket victory over Sharad Kapoor XI to advance to the final. The match was highlighted by a stellar six-wicket haul from Madhav Gupta and an unbeaten 80-run knock by Veer Singh.
Sharad Kapoor XI Innings
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sharad Kapoor XI posted a formidable total of 241 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 35 overs. The innings was anchored by Vishesh Agnihotri, who played a magnificent knock of 140 runs. Shivansh contributed 32 runs to the total. For Arun Awasthi XI, Madhav Gupta was the standout bowler, claiming 6 wickets for 42 runs, while Mohd Hanzala took 2 wickets for 38 runs.
Arun Awasthi XI Chase
In response, Arun Awasthi XI chased down the target of 242 runs in 34 overs, finishing at 242 for 8 wickets. Key contributions came from Vivan Gandhi (55 runs), Kartik Singh (26), and Kanha Bhatia (20). However, the star of the chase was Veer Singh, who remained unbeaten on 80 runs, guiding his team to victory. For Sharad Kapoor XI, Avijanat Mishra picked up 3 wickets for 49 runs, and Chinmay Gaur took 2 for 43.
Brief Score Summary
- Sharad Kapoor XI: 241/9 in 35 overs (Vishesh Agnihotri 140, Shivansh 32; Madhav Gupta 6/42, Mohd Hanzala 2/38)
- Arun Awasthi XI: 242/8 in 34 overs (Veer Singh 80*, Vivan Gandhi 55, Kartik Singh 26, Kanha Bhatia 20; Avijanat Mishra 3/49, Chinmay Gaur 2/43)
KDMA League Quarterfinal
In another match on Tuesday, Olympic Club defeated Kanpur Starlet by 97 runs in a quarterfinal tie of the KDMA League at the PAC ground. Batting first, Olympic Club scored 173 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs. Punit Pal top-scored with 82 runs, while Veer Pratap made 37 and Akash Yadav added 25. For Kanpur Starlet, Surendra Singh and Vikas Singh each took 2 wickets.
In reply, Kanpur Starlet was bowled out for just 76 runs in their allotted overs. Shreyansh Singh was the top scorer with 20 runs. Olympic Club's bowlers were led by Abhijeet Singh, who took 4 wickets for 12 runs, while Aniket Yadav and Raj Katiyar claimed 2 wickets each.
Brief Score Summary
- Olympic Club: 173/7 in 20 overs (Punit Pal 82, Veer Pratap 37, Akash Yadav 25; Surendra Singh 2/23, Vikas Singh 2/28)
- Kanpur Starlet: 76 all out (Shreyansh Singh 20; Abhijeet Singh 4/12, Aniket Yadav 2/17, Raj Katiyar 2/23)
