Captain Dhekale stars for Singams in Game 7

 Captain Dhekale stars for Singams in Game 7

Captain Sumeet Dhekale’s pyrotechnics helped Chennai Singams set a respectable total. But the Bangalore Strikers openers Ajaz Bepari and Saroj Pramanik took a cue from the in-form Singams’ opening combination to overhaul the target without much fuss in the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) Season 2.

Despite the defeat, with Strikers overhauling a target of 88 in the eighth over at the Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane, the Singams maintained its third position in the points table. For the Men in Yellow, though, it was an evening that will be remembered for Dhekale’s dashing knock of unbeaten 40 (25b, 4x6).

For a change, the opening combination for the Singams failed to fire, thus pegging the team back. Jagat Sarkar was caught in the slips off the second ball of Farman Khan’s opening over. Prashant Gharat then smashed consecutive fours off Irfan Patel in the next over before perishing soon afterwards.

At 19 for two, Dhekale took guard with Ketan Mhatre looking good at the other end. The left-handed Dhekale tonked Pramanik over deep midwicket in the fourth over to hint that it was his day. Even though the Singams kept on losing wickets at the other end regularly, Dhekale continued to bat swiftly.

At 56 for four, Dhekale decided to switch into top gear. Off the 11 balls he faced from the last overs combined, he scored a whopping 26 runs to catapult the Singams to a total of 87 for five off its quota of 10 overs. More than the two overs in Ashiq Ali’s penultimate overs, his last-ball six off Irfan drew one of the loudest cheers of the evening.

More than the Singams’ bowlers, the Strikers opening combination of Pramanik and Ajaz Bepari took a cue from Dhekale’s exploits. The well-oiled Singams attack could not withstand the onslaught as Strikers cruised to the target.

In fact, the Singams were in danger of losing the match by 10 wickets, a rarity in ISPL. With five runs required to win and Bepari just three runs away from a fifty, he miscued a heave to be caught by Gharat off left-arm pacer Jignesh Patel in the deep. Sanjay Kanojiya then finished the game off with a six off the next ball.

Brief scores

Chennai Singams 87/5 in 10 overs (Sumeet Dhekale 40 not out, Ketan Mhatre 20) lost to Bangalore Strikers 89/1 in 7.2 overs (Ajaz Bepari 47, Saroj Pramanik 26 not out; Jignesh Patel 1/6).