India Cements get better of BSNL by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharmasala, Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Scorecard:	Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited v India Cements, All India Public Sector Sports Promotion Board v Indian Oil Corporation, India Revenue v Indian Tobacco Company, Madras Rubber Factory v Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Player:	S Badrinath, RS Dravid, AS Chowdhury, GK Khoda, S Sriram
Event:	Sahara BCCI Corporate Trophy 2009/10

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DateLine: 3rd September 2009

 

Group A

 

India Revenue prevailed over Indian Tobacco Company by six runs in Mohali and in the process knocked them out of the prestigious Corporate Trophy 2009. Indian Revenue had won the toss and elected to bat first but they lost wickets at regular intervals. Avik Chowdhury made a superb unbeaten century to guide Indian Revenue to a competitive total.

 

ITC cruised comfortably to 101 for 2 but left-arm spinner Ajinkya Joshi reduced them to 138 for 4. A 84-run fifth-wicket association between Parvinder Singh (51) and Bipul Sharma (42) got ITC closer to the target but Chowdhury continued his good match as he removed Bipul and ITC couldn't recover afterwards. ITC's match against Air India Blue was washed out on Tuesday, which means they finish their league matches with two points, and no chance of making the final four.

 

Group B

 

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's batsmen proved too much for Madras Rubber Factory's bowlers as they ran up a huge total of 329 in their 50 overs. ONGC's Gagan Khoda made a quick century, and was involved in big stands with Gautam Gambhir for the third wicket and Virat Kohli for the fourth. At 282 for 3 in the 43rd over ONGC was looking at a total off 350 plus but were kept down to 329.

 

The MRF chase never got off the right start as they were hampered by some accurate bowling. Venugopal Rao, was dismissed in the 20th over, the score was 80 for 3 and MRF's hopes went up in smoke. However, they fought on with the help of a century from veteran S Sriram and Gnaneswara Rao's 54. The pair took MRF along to 187 for 3 in the 37th over, but 330 proved too stiff as MRF could manage only 258 in their 50 overs.

 

Group C

 

The match between All India Public Sector Sports Promotion Board and Indian Oil Corporation was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to incessant rain.

 

Group D

 

Badrinath and Rahul Dravid fashioned a facile win over an unfancied BSNL by 25 runs. In the match reduced to 47 overs a side, Badrinath and Dravid scored half-centuries to recover from a slow start, but BSNL could not recover from a similarly slow start themselves. Badrinath and Dravid shared a 127-run stand to set up the launching pad for a competitive total and it seemed that the work would go down the drain before Suresh Kumar wielded the long handle to good effect.

 

BSNL's chase never really got going, as they found it difficult to score off an accurate Balaji and a nippy Tyagi. Anshul Kapoor took the mantle off attacking when the spinners came on, but once he was dismissed the chase petered off lamely.