Last-Ball Drama Sees National Youth Seal Final Berth
In a heart-stopping encounter at the Kanpur South Ground on Tuesday, National Youth secured a dramatic place in the championship match of the 15th Late KS Saxena Memorial Cricket Tournament. They pipped South Gymkhana Club by the narrowest of margins, winning a low-scoring thriller by just 1 run.
A Tense Battle of Low Scores
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, National Youth posted a total of 102 runs in their allotted 25 overs. The innings was built around a crucial knock of 36 runs from Arush Kashyap, with valuable support from Rohit Kumar Gupta who contributed 20. The South Gymkhana bowling attack, however, kept things tight throughout. Astitva Gupta was the standout performer with an excellent spell, claiming 3 wickets for just 12 runs. He was ably supported by Abhinav Yadav, who also took three scalps, conceding 14 runs.
South Gymkhana's Valiant Chase Falls Agonizingly Short
In reply, South Gymkhana Club fought valiantly but ultimately fell just short of the target. They were bowled out for 101 runs in 23.2 overs, sparking celebrations in the National Youth camp. The chase was anchored by a fighting half-century from Divyanshu Sahu, who scored 53 runs. Manas Shukla provided support with 27 runs. The National Youth bowlers, however, held their nerve in the crunch moments. Divyanshu Pandey led the attack brilliantly, taking 3 wickets for 20 runs. He received excellent support from Dhanesh Chauhan (2/11) and Amit Kumar (2/14). For his match-winning bowling performance, Divyanshu Pandey was rightly adjudged the Man of the Match.
Other Sporting Highlights from Kanpur
In other sporting events held under the MP Sports programme on Tuesday, Green Park stadium hosted a chess championship. The tournament witnessed Kavita Agarwal and Rajesh Kumar Sharma emerging as the champions in their respective categories.
