Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 17: Promising opening batsman Shubam Khajuria’s thunderous century for JKCA Green went in vain as talented youngster Paras Sharma and experienced campaigner Ian Dev Singh cracked handsome fifties to help JKCA Red register resounding win in the ongoing 50-over Quadrangular Cricket Series, being organized by Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association to pick the players for the forthcoming Vijay Hazare and Mushtaq Ali Tournaments at GGM Science College Hostel Ground, here.
Earlier, put into bat, JKCA Green rode on a power-packed century by Shubam Khajuria to score a formidable total of 251 runs in 40.1 overs. Shubam scored 124 runs off 100 balls, studded with 13 boundaries and 4 sixes, while Abid Nabi, Nadeem Dar and Amritpal Singh contributed 32, 20 and 18 runs to the total respectively. Shubam, in particular, was very severe on the bowlers, sending them on a leather-hunt with utmost timing, fluid grace and utter brilliance. For JKCA Red, left-arm spinner Vijay Dogra was the most successful bowler, taking 3 wickets by conceding 41 runs in his 8 overs, while skipper Samiullah Beig and Rohit Sharma bagged 2 wickets each. Another left-arm spinner, Waseem Raza and Ian Dev Singh claimed one wicket each.
In reply, JKCA Red sailed on superb contributions by Paras Sharma, Ian Dev Singh and Vimarsh Kaw and chased the target easily in 44.3 overs, losing 6 wickets in the process, thus won the match by 4 wickets. Openers Vimarsh and Ishtiaq Rasool began in style, hitting galaxy of boundaries and sixes in first 6 overs, before Kaw fell to a mistimed pull-shot, caught brilliantly by skipper Hardeep Singh, after the bowling of speedster Mehjoor Ali at his individual score of 38 runs and the team’s total of 41 runs. He hit 6 delectable boundaries and one big six in his knock, while Ishtiaq contributed 18 runs off 17 balls with 2 fours and one six. Then, apart from Mohsin Iqbal and Pranav Gupta’s valuable 25 and 19 runs, it was Paras-Ian show all the way. Paras scored unbeaten 61 off 60 balls, with the help of 6 magnificent boundaries, while Ian contributed 53 off 61 balls with 8 fours. Asif Khan chipped in with unbeaten 15 runs. Medium pace bowler, Mehjoor Ali, despite being slightly expensive, was the pick of the JKCA Green bowlers, who scalped 4 important wickets, including 3 top order batsmen by conceding 67 runs in his 9.3 overs, while left-arm spinner Raman Dutta and speedster Anshuman Singh claimed one wicket each.
The match was officiated by BCCI Level-1 umpires Amit Gupta and Harbinder Singh, while the BCCI Panel scorer, Ashwani Kumar maintained the scorebook.
The matches are being observed by a panel of senior selectors of JKCA including Abdul Rauf, chairman, Shiban Lal Trakroo, Shahid Parvez, Iqbal Shah and Tilak Singh.
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