Needing an outright victory over England Lions’, West Zone team put up a tremendous show to cage Lions’ as the tourists were trapped in a spun web laid by offie Yusuf Pathan (5 for 35), ably supported by medium-pacer Siddharth Trivedi (4 for 28), which helped West Zone team to clinch an unlikely nine-wicket victory over Lions’ to move in to Duleep Trophy finals.
Some phenomenal bowling by West Zone’s deadly duo of tweaker (Yusuf) and seamer (Siddharth), sharing nine wickets together, as they ripped apart the Lions’ batting line-up on the fourth and final day of their group 'B' Duleep Trophy match played at the Motibaug Palace Cricket ground here on Thursday.
The eventual winners needed an outright victory against the touring England team in their quest to make to the finals, while the visitors needed only draw but they succumbed to the sustained pressure produced by Pathan and Trivedi.
The visitors got out on a paltry 165 in their second essay as the West needing just 27 runs with 12 mandatory overs to spare. West lost only Ajinkya Rahane before finishing off the proceedings by achieving the 27-run target.
West Zone will now fight it out with defending champions and group 'A' topper North Zone in the final, scheduled at Mumbai from February 19.
West Zone skipper Parthiv Patel credited team's magnificent victory to the record 342-run second wicket partnership between Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane, which aided West Zone side to gain a huge 139-run first innings lead and later some superb bowling by Pathan and Trivedi.
England batsmen couldn’t cling in the middle as seven of their batsmen even failed to reach the double figure mark. Only Ed Joyce (66) and Adil Rashid (39) showed some resistance and also saved their side from the humiliation of an innings defeat with some resolute batting. Both of them were sent back to pavilion by Pathan.
Lions’ were reduced to 109 for five at lunch and then later packed off at 165, 25 minutes before tea with Trivedi scalping thrice in a row. Trivedi was denied a hat-trick by Steve Kirby, after he trapped Liam Plunkett (5) and Graham Onions for naught leg before in two successive deliveries in his 13th over.
SCOREBOARD
England Lions First innings: 355 West Zone First innings: 494 England Lions Second innings: M. Carberry lbw b Pathan 17, M. Yardy lbw Trivedi 2, E. Joyce lbw b Pathan 66, J. Trott c Kukreja b Dhruv 6, J. Foster c Rahane b Pathan 3, A. Rashid c Makhda b Pathan 39, J. Denly b Trivedi 3, L. Plunkett lbw b Trivedi 5, G. Onions lbw b Trivedi 0, S. Kirby c Pujara b Pathan 5, M. Panesar not out 4.
Extras: 15 (b-7, lb-8) Total: 165 all out in 82 overs Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-39, 3-59, 4-72, 5-103, 6-115, 7-135, 8-135, 9-158 and 10-165. West bowling: Trivedi 16-7-28-4, Makhda 5-3-4-0, Dhruv 25-11-43-1, Powar 12-1-33-0, Pathan 21-9-35-5, Jobanputra 3-0-7-0.
West Zone Second innings: Sahil Kureja not out 12, Ajinkya Rahane c Plunkett b Onions 6, Cheteshwar Pujara not out 9
Extras: 1 (lb-1) Total: 28 for one wicket in 14.2 overs. Fall of wickets: 1-13. England Lions bowling: Onions 7.2-2-19-1, Kirby 7-3-8-0
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