Chandigarh survive a three-wicket collapse to beat Baroda off the penultimate ball of the chaseचंडीगढ़ ने तीन विकेट के पतन से उबरकर बड़ौदा को हराया, चेज़ की उपांत्य गेंद पर जीत

Chandigarh needed 12 from the final over, had lost three wickets for three runs earlier in the chase, and still got home with one ball to spare. They beat Baroda by three wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Match 4 at the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy - BKC in Mumbai, finishing on 149/7 in 19.5 overs against a target of 149.

Baroda's late push after a slow middle

Chandigarh won the toss and chose to bowl. Baroda reached 46/2 after six overs, but Chandigarh's bowlers then slowed them: overs 7-15 produced only 45 runs. Baroda were 91/4 after 15 overs and 107/5 soon afterwards.

The last five overs brought 57 runs and took them to 148/6. Shivalik Sharma top-scored with 45 from 42 balls, and Krunal Pandya was unbeaten on 40 from 42. Bhanu Pania hit 19 from seven balls and Atit Sheth an unbeaten 14 from five, with three fours.

For Chandigarh, Chiragvir Dhindsa conceded only 11 runs in four overs and took a wicket. Bhagmender Lather took 2 for 27, while Sandeep Sharma and Shivam Bhambri took one wicket each.

The chase that nearly slipped away

Krunal Pandya struck early with the ball, removing Manan Vohra at 21/1 and Arjun Azad at 51/2. He finished with 2 for 7 from four overs, and Deepak Hooda also took two wickets for six runs in two overs. Chandigarh were 70/2 after 10 overs.

Shivam Bhambri anchored the innings with 45 from 41 balls, and his 53-run fourth-wicket stand with Aarush Bhandari took them to 114/3 after 15 overs. At 123/3 they needed 26 from 24 balls.

Then came the 17th over. Chandigarh lost three wickets for three runs, going from 123/3 to 126/6. Bhandari and Dhindsa were run out, and Raman Bishnoi was dismissed off Hooda. The target became 23 from 18 balls, and 12 from the last six after 19 overs.

Sandhu and Lather finish it

Atit Sheth bowled the last over. Chandigarh scored 1, 4, 2, a wide, 0 and 4. Lather took a single, and Jagjit Singh Sandhu hit two fours in his unbeaten 10 from four balls. Lather finished on 6 not out from eight.

The unbroken stand was 12 from five balls, enough to complete the chase on the penultimate legal ball. Baroda's Krunal Pandya had been the pick of their bowlers, but Sandhu's late boundaries decided the match.