Guwahati, Aug 4 (IANS) Barak Legends held their nerve in a rain-affected contest to register a three-wicket victory over Guwahati Royals via the VJD Method in Match 7 of the Assam Premier League (APL) at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.
Chasing a revised VJD target of 118 in 19 overs, Barak Legends rode on composed knocks from skipper Sibsankar Roy and Saurav Dey before sealing the contest. Earlier, Guwahati Royals recovered from early setbacks to post 126/9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Put into bat, Guwahati Royals were rocked early as they slipped to 2/2 before Rishav Das and Nibir Deka rebuilt the innings with a crucial 58-run partnership. Nibir top-scored with a fluent 47 off 40 deliveries, while Rishav contributed a steady 30. Gunjan Jyoti Deka added a valuable 22 off 19 balls to push the Royals past the 120-run mark.
Mohit Thakur was the standout performer with the ball, returning impressive figures of 3/12 in his four overs. Abdul Kuraishi chipped in with 2/16 to keep Guwahati in check.
In reply, Barak Legends lost wickets at regular intervals but found stability through captain Sibsankar Roy, who struck a composed 36 off 36 balls, and Saurav Dey, whose 29 off 33 deliveries kept the chase on track. Bishal Saha provided early impetus with a quickfire 15, while Abdul made a useful contribution before falling late in the innings.
Guwahati Royals fought back through Deepak Gohain, who claimed 3/11, while Mrinmoy Dutta picked up two wickets. However, Harsh Kumar and Bhargab Pratim remained unbeaten to steer Barak Legends to 118/7 in 19 overs and secure a hard-earned three-wicket victory under the VJD Method.
Brief scores:
Guwahati Royals 126/9 in 20 overs (Nibir Deka 47, Rishav Das 30, Gunjan Jyoti Deka 22; Mohit Thakur 3/12, Abdul Ajij Kuraishi 2/16, Saurav Dey 2/41)
Barak Legends 118/7 in 19 overs (Sibsankar Roy 36, Saurav Dey 29, Bishal Saha 15; Deepak Gohain 3/11, Mrinmoy Dutta 2/23)
Result: Barak Legends beat Guwahati Royals by 3 wickets (VJD Method)
–IANS
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