That wraps up another exhilarating game of cricket, where Toyam Hyderabad suffered their second consecutive defeat, while Gujarat Greats kicked off their tournament campaign with a commanding victory. The action doesn’t stop here! Gujarat Greats will be back on the field in the next match, squaring off against the Southern Super Stars on Monday, September 23rd. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT), but be sure to tune in early for all the pre-match buildup. Mark your calendars and join us for what promises to be another thrilling encounter. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
Shikhar Dhawan, the victorious skipper of Gujarat Greats says that he enjoyed playing after a long time. Appreciates Morne van Wyk and says he played a brilliant knock and batted beautifully in this scorching heat. Says that it was a great partnership between him and Morne van Wyk and the way van Wyk batted eased the pressure off him a bit. Adds that it is less pressure in the legend's cricket but the intensity throughout the game has been the same.
Morne van Wyk is the Player of the Match for his unbeaten knock of 115 runs off 69 balls. He says he is surprised with how well it came off. Adds that the plan is to keep good hand-eye coordination and he tried to take the game as deep as possible despite the heat.
Suresh Raina, the losing skipper of Toyam Hyderabad says the way Morne van Wyk batted was superb and they did try really hard but it is not easy for the bowlers to bowl on back-to-back days in this heat and they fell short. Adds that the opponents batted really well and catered the spinners well to inflict a defeat on them. Mentions that the credit must go to the opposition batting unit as they did really well and won this but says that they will try their best and win the next game.
Time for the Presentation Ceremony...
Earlier in the game, Toyam Hyderabad, after choosing to bat first, found themselves in early trouble, losing three wickets in the powerplay despite their positive intent. However, a crucial 46-run stand between captain Suresh Raina, who played a fine knock of 44 off 27 balls, and Rikki Clarke helped stabilize the innings. Their efforts were further bolstered by Peter Trego and Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who capitalized on the foundation to push the team to a competitive total of 172 runs. While the Gujarat Greats bowlers showed promise, they couldn't maintain the pressure towards the end, allowing Toyam Hyderabad to post a strong score. Liam Plunkett, Manan Sharma and Seekkuge Prasanna claimed two wickets apiece, while Shannon Gabriel chipped in with one.
With nothing going right for Toyam Hyderabad, Gurkeerat Singh Mann finally provided a breakthrough after the strategic timeout, dismissing Shikhar Dhawan and giving his side a much-needed glimmer of hope. However, Lendl Simmons stepped in effortlessly, maintaining Gujarat Greats' momentum. Despite a few tidy overs from Hyderabad, Morne van Wyk kept piercing the field with boundaries, ensuring that the pressure never really shifted back onto Gujarat, except for a brief moment when Simmons fell and nerves crept in. Yashpal Singh then stepped in, calmly guiding the team through the final stages. Van Wyk’s unbeaten 115 was the backbone of the innings, anchoring the chase and securing a well-earned victory for Gujarat Greats kicking off the tournament on a high.
Chasing 173, Gujarat Greats were off to the perfect start, exactly what was needed to set the tone for the chase. Morne van Wyk wasted no time, smashing 11 runs off the very first over to kickstart the onslaught. Although Shikhar Dhawan looked a bit rusty initially, he quickly found his rhythm and joined the aggressive approach. Together, the duo forged a strong opening stand, propelling Gujarat to a commanding 57/0 by the end of the powerplay, setting a solid foundation for the rest of the chase.
Wow! What initially seemed like a comfortable chase by the 16th over turned into a surprisingly close finish. However, Gujarat Greats managed to keep their composure under pressure and successfully crossed the line, securing the win with 8 wickets still in hand.
In over# 20
4
1
4
Nuwan Pradeep 31/0(3.3)
19.3
4
FOUR! That's a wrap as Morne van Wyk seals the deal for Gujarat Greats and in a befitting manner with a boundary. Good length on off, Morne van Wyk punches this through cover for a boundary and Gujarat Greats win this game by 8 wickets and 3 balls to spare.
19.2
1
DROPPED! Peter Trego drops a sitter and Toyam Hyderabad might rue this. Good length around middle and leg, Yashpal Singh flicks this towards mid-wicket region for a simple catch to Trego but he drops it and the batters cross for one.
19.1
4
FOUR! A boundary of the first ball and it eases off the pressure from the batting team. Good length around middle and leg. Yashpal Singh pulls this up and over the mid-wicket fielder for a boundary. Just 4 needed of 5 now.
With just 7 runs to defend, who will Suresh Raina go to for the final over? He goes to Nuwan Pradeep!
In over# 19
1
1
1
1
6
1
Stuart Binny 29/0(3)
18.6
1
Pitched-up around middle and leg, Yashpal Singh slogs this towards long on for a single.
18.5
1
Good length on off, Morne van Wyk drives this to mid off for one.
18.4
1
On a length around middle and leg, Yashpal Singh swings a bit too hard and loses his body shape. The ball gets an inside edge towards square leg for one.
18.3
1
Yorker on off, Morne van Wyk jams this towards off and takes one.
18.2
6
SIX! This six holds a lot of importance in this chase as it releases the pressure off Morne van Wyk a bit. Full and wide outside off, Morne van Wyk moves to his off, goes down on a knee and slogs this in front up and over the sightscreen for six runs. 12 needed off the last 10 now.