AIESCB, Professional CC enter semis in Twenty20 tournament

Chandigarh, May 1 (UNI) Unpretentious Professional Cricket Club and star-packed All India Electricity Sports Control Board (AIESCB) entered the semi-finals from Group B in the First All India Invitation Prize Money Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.

Professional Club emerged pool leaders with 10 points from two victories and one tie. AIESCB finished runners-up with two victories and one draw as they obtained eight points.

Powerful Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) have already qualified for the semi-final from Group A. With an all-win record, ONGC secured 12 points.

The match between Professional CC and Moody ICL XI ended in an exciting tie at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Sector 3 Panchkula today.

Batting first Professional CC scored 117 for 9 in 20 overs.

Opender Ravinder Nain (36, 5x4s) and Amit Verma (22 not out) propped up their innings. Kamal Walia and Ranji player Bhageshwar Bisht contributed 13 and 11 runs, respectively.

Chasing a victory target of 118, Moody ICL scored 117 for 8 in 20 overs. In the last over, ICL required eight runs for victory but could muster seven, including a boundary by Karan Khairwar. In the last ball Sudhir was run out and the match ended in a tie.

Madan Lal Saini, who was adjudged the man of the match, was the most successful bowler taking three wickets for 15 runs.

All India Electricity Sports Control Board defeated JJ's XI by seven wickets in another mnatch at Panchkula. JJ's XI batted first and were all out for 136 in 20 overs. Sunny (22) and Manav Asopa (30) gave JJ a good start by putting on 53 runs before Sunny departed. Tejgobind hit 37, which included two sixes and two fours.

Sanjeev Goel (3 for 26), B Mohanty (3 for 19) and Ikhtak Ahmad (2 for 24) were the main wicket-takers for AIESCB, who achieved the target with ease by scoring 140 for 3.

An unbeaten 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Harikirshan Kali (47, 4x4s) and Sanjiv Goel (43, 7x4s, 1x6) paved the way for the powermen to emerge victorious in the match.

All-rounder Sanjeev Goel was declared the the man of the match.

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