Kolkata: In another dominant show Bengal crushed Mizoram by eight wickets to record a hat-trick of wins in a Group ‘A’ Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) match in Rajkot on Wednesday. The victory helped the Sudip Gharami-led side tie with Rajasthan at 12 points but the latter with a better run-rate occupy the top spot now.
Asked to bat first, Mizoram put up a decent total of 157 for four thanks to Mohit Jangra’s unbeaten 80. Pacer Mohammed Shami, who provided Bengal the winning momentum against Hyderabad in the last match with a three-wicket burst, had a bad day in office going for 46 runs in his four overs without a wicket. Jangra took the pacer, on a comeback trail from injury, to the cleaners hitting him for three sixes.
Mizoram openers Jehu Anderson and Agni Chopra gave them a fluent start collecting 33 runs before Anderson was bowled by Kanishk Seth for 14 in the fifth over. Chopra departed soon after when Sayan Ghosh, playing his first match this season, had him caught by Seth.
But Jangra prevented Bengal bowlers from making further inroads stitching together two important partnerships. First he was involved in a 55-run third-wicket stand with Muanzuala and then played an unbroken 57-run stand with Lalhriatrenga that helped Mizoram get a fighting total. Jangra’s 49-ball innings included seven boundaries and four sixes.
Bengal openers Abhishek Porel and Karan Lal were in no mood to give their rivals any chance as they once again gave the side a flying start putting on 131 runs in 13 overs. Porel carried on his form from the last match against Hyderabad, hitting nine fours and four sixes while facing 45 deliveries to pick up the man-of-the-match award.
By the time Lala departed in the 15th over for a well-made 67 off 40 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes, Bengal had almost wrapped up things. Shakir Gandhi and Ritwik Roy Chowdhury completed the formalities in the next over.
Brief scores: Mizoram 157/4 in 20 ovs (M Jangra 80*; Karan Lal 1-14, Sayan Ghosh 1-22). Bengal 158/2 in 15.3 ovs (Abhishek Porel 81, K Lal 67; K Vanrotlinga 2-35). Bengal won by 8 wkts
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