MCA Corporate cricket tournament: Shreyas Keskar, Ayush Vartak efforts help Merck India emerge champions

The combined efforts of left-arm spinner Shreyas Keskar 4 for 34 and prolific number 3 batsman, Ayush Vartak (51 not out), helped Merck India Sports Club emerge champions by defeating Bhavishya Nidhi Staff CC by eight wickets in the D Division final of the inaugural MCA Corporate Trophy Cricket Tournament and played at the Parsee Gymkhana ground, MariGroundve on Tuesday.

Merck India elected to field after winning the toss, and it proved to be a good decision as their bowlers tormented the opposition batsmen and picked up wickets at regular intervals.

Bhavishya Nidhi CC were bowled out for 104 all out in 26.3 overs. Medium pacers Kazim Sayyed (2/18) and Vaibhav Sawant (2/37) got the initial breakthroughs before Keskar and off-spinner Prashant Patil (2/13) scalped the remaining wickets. Dushyant Kadam was the lone batsman to offer some resistance making 22 runs (27 balls, 1x4s, 1x6s) to lift the innings.

Defending a low target, Bhavishya rocked the Merck India innings with an early wicket of Mandar Lambe for eight runs and with 33 runs on the board. But the other opening batsman Harsh Rane 39 (40 balls, 7x4s) and Vartak 48 balls innings which included 8 boundaries and 2 sixes, stitched a 43-run partnership in 9 overs for the second wicket to put their team in the driver’s seat and charge to a fluent victory.

Left-arm spinner Pratham Salaskar (1/14) and medium pacer Saurabh Sharma (1/31) claimed the two wickets.

Bhavishya Nidhi Staff CC 104 all out, 26.3 overs (Dushyant Kadam 22 (27 balls, 1x4s, 1x6s); SLA-Shreyas Keskar 4/34, Kazim Sayyed 2/18, Vaibhav Sawant 2/37) lost to Merck SC 107 for 2 wickets, 20.1 overs (Ayush Vartak 51* (48 balls, 8x4s, 2x6s), Harsh Rane 39 (40 balls, 7x4s), Pratham Salaskar 1/14). Result: Merck SC won by 8 wickets