Ashok Dinda, Manoj Tiwary help East Zone win Deodhar Trophy

Manoj Tiwary (File Photo)

East Zone defeated West Zone by 24 runs in the final of the Deodhar Trophy, played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Opting to bat first, East Zone got off to a terrible start losing both their openers with just 5 runs on the board.

Manoj Tiwary stars for East Zone

Skipper Manoj Tiwary then began the rescue act and added 135 runs for the third wicket with 16-year-old Virat Singh, before the latter was dismissed for 54. East Zone lost Tiwary soon after for 75, but a crucial 75-run stand between Saurabh Tiwary and Biplab Samantray helped their side get back into the game. After the right-hander from Cuttack was dismissed for 60, Saurabh put on another important stand of 57 runs with Kumar Deobrat that propelled East Zone to 269 for 8. 

Dhawal Kulkarni picked up two wickets for West Zone, giving away 35 runs in his 9 overs while Akshar Patel, Ankit Bawne and Kedar Jadhav picked up a wicket each. 

In reply, West Zone were in trouble early on in their innings, losing Smit Patel, Sheldon Jackson and Ambati Rayudu with the scoreboard reading 37. Jadhav and Bawne then put on 74 runs for the fourth wicket before the latter was dismissed for 28.

Jadhav narrowly misses out on ton

Surya Kumar Yadav joined Jadhav at the crease and the duo put on 84 for the fifth wicket before the Maharashtra batsman was dismissed, three short of a well-deserved century. Much was expected from Yusuf Pathan, but he failed to provide any fireworks, dismissed for just three. Akshar couldn’t repeat his semi-final heroics in the final, and was dismissed for an 11-ball 20 and when Yadav became the ninth wicket to fall, it was all but over for West Zone. 

Ashok Dinda was the pick of the bowlers for East Zone, picking up 4 for 33 in 10 overs and he was well-supported by Samantray and Shahbaz Nadeem who picked up two wickets each.

Brief scores

East Zone 269-8 (Virat Singh 54, Manoj Tiwary 75, BB Samantray 60; Dhawal Kulkarni 2/35) beat West Zone 245 (Kedar Jadhav 97, Surya Yadav 35; Dinda 4/33)