South Zone clinches Deodhar Trophy for 9th time

PUDUCHERRY: South Zone’s juggernaut continued as it clinched the Deodhar Trophy title for the ninth time with a commanding 45-run win over East Zone in the final, here on Thursday.

After opener Rohan Kunnummal smacked a sensational century -- a 75-ball 107 with four sixes and 11 fours -- to set the ball rolling for his side, there was no stopping the South Zone which piled up 328 for eight.

South Zone’s impressive bowling line-up then made life miserable for the East Zone batters, whose top order crumbled to reach 75 for four after 16 overs and were left staring at a mountain to climb.

It was not for the first time in the Deodhar Trophy that East Zone pinned all its hopes on the pair of Riyan Parag and Kumar Kushagra, who delivered yet again with a 105-run stand for the sixth wicket, but their effort was just not enough.

Chasing 329 to win, East Zone were bowled out for 283 in 46.1 overs.

Having stuttered in the chase, Parag’s yet another quickfire knock -- 95 from 65 balls with eight fours and five sixes -- did revive East Zone’s hopes of turning the tables on South Zone.

But Washington Sundar dealt the decisive blow when he pinned Parag in front of the wickets in the 38th over, with the chasing team needing another 109 runs to win from 12 overs.

Earlier in the first half, Mayank Agarwal called it right for South Zone to bat first, as its opening pair tore into the East Zone bowling attack right from the word go.

Agarwal (63 from 83 balls, 4x4s) took the backseat and watched his younger partner, Kerala’s Kunnummal go ballistic with the bat.

Brief scores: South Zone 328/8 in 50 overs(R Kunnummal 107,M Agarwal 63, N Jagadeesan 54) bt East Zone 283 in 46.1 overs (R Parag 95, K Kushagra 68, SK Gharami 41, Washington Sundar 3/60)