With a thrilling one wicket victory over Karnataka State CricketAssociation XI, Chemplast entered the final of the Coromandel CementCup in Bangalore on Saturday

Staff Reporter11-Aug-2001* Chemplast defeat KSCA XI by one wicket, enter title roundWith a thrilling one wicket victory over Karnataka State CricketAssociation XI, Chemplast entered the final of the Coromandel CementCup in Bangalore on Saturday.It was excitement all the way at the RSI ground. KSCA had taken asmall lead of 16 runs on the first innings so virtually the fate ofthe match hinged on the second innings, which is restricted to 40overs. Opening bowlers R Ramkumar and L Balaji kept Chemplast in thehunt by bowling out KSCA in the second innings for 177 in 37.4 overs.Opener Rowland Barrington made a breezy 40 off 50 balls with four hitsto the fence. Then Deepak Chougule (49 off 67 balls) and Sunil Joshi(a run a ball 36 with one four and three sixes) added 65 runs for thefourth wicket off 10 overs. But then Ramkumar and Balaji got among thewickets and KSCA slid from 146 for three to 177 all out. Ramkumar tookfive for 79 while Balaji returned figures of five for 61.Chemplast now required 194 runs for victory. Openers Sujith Somasundar(30) and Ganesh Kumar (22) put on 49 runs off nine overs. But thenskipper Anil Kumble took a couple of quick wickets and Chemplast weresuddenly 89 for five. A sixth wicket partnership of 36 runs off sixovers between Jinju Joseph (23) and J Hariesh (19) revived Chemplast’shopes. But the dismissal of both these batsmen in three deliveriesturned the match KSCA’s way. However TR Arasu and Ramkumar with aneighth wicket partnership of 53 runs off only 6.2 overs changed thecomplexion of the game once again. Ramkumar who scored 29 off 29 ballswith two fours and two sixes was dismissed in the 37th over withChemplast still 16 runs away from victory. Balaji gave Kumble a returncatch in the following over with Chemplast still 11 runs short of thetarget. Last man Tamil Kumaran joined Arasu with 14 deliveries left.Amidst much excitement, the two steered Chemplast to victory with nineballs to spare. Arasu remained unbeaten with 34 off 26 balls with twofours and two sixes while Kumaran contributed a single. Kumble was themost successful bowler with four for 65 off 16 overs.Chemplast now take on Roofit XI, Mumbai in the three day finalcommencing on Monday.* Paranjpe leads Roofit XI to final with win over PistonsIn a game of see-sawing fortunes, Roofit XI from Mumbai pulled off asix wicket win over Chennai’s India Pistons at the MJWSC Ground inBangalore on Saturday. Beginning the final day at 64/1, with anoverall lead of 28 runs, the India Pistons team failed to bat out theallotted 40 overs and were dismissed for 223 in 39.3 overs.Roofit XI’s 27-year-old left arm spinner Kiran Adhav was the star withthe ball, scalping 5/76 off 15.3 overs. Medium pace bowling allrounder S Mahesh starred with the bat for India Pistons, making 70 off80 balls (3 fours, 1 six) after being promoted in the batting order. CHemanth Kumar (74) and Mahesh were involved in a 148-run associationfor the second wicket, but it proved to be in vain as the rest of thebatting failed to click.Setting off in pursuit of a 189-run target, Roofit XI got off to agood start, with openers Altaf Merchant (23) and Satyajit Parab (41)sharing a partnership of 65 off 19.1 overs. Then Roofit XI skipperJatin Paranjpe, who came in at No 3, blasted the India Pistons bowlersto all parts of the ground. Crashing 50 runs off 23 balls, with fiveboundaries and three sixes, the former India player destroyed anychances of an India Pistons victory. Hrishikesh Kanitkar helpedhimself to 36 before being dismissed and the winning runs were scoredwith Kiran Powar and Rakesh Patel at the crease. Roofit XI needed just32.2 of the available 40 overs to reach their target.