Central Bank of India managed to overcome a strong fight from Bombay Mercantile Co-Op Bank and managed to snatch a tight 12-run in their Elite Division Group-B match of the 62nd Sir Benegal Rama Rau Bank Shield Cricket Tournament 2024, organised by Reserve Bank of India under the aegis of the Mumbai Cricket Association and played at the Karnatak SA CC ground, Cross Maidan.
Batting first, Central Bank managed to post a decent total of 127 for seven wickets from their quota of 20 overs. Leading by example captain and middle-order bat Prithvi Nair smashed a 53-ball unbeaten 63 runs with eight hit to the fence and one over the ropes which propped the Central Bank innings.
All-rounder Harsh Tathare added 23 useful runs. Bombay Mercantile Bank’s leg-spinner Nilesh Gupta claimed four wickets for nine runs to contain the rival batters.
Later, Bombay Mercantile batsmen played confidently and steadily went about their task in the chase. But, a sudden middle-order slump triggered their collapse and they fell short of the winning target as they were restricted to 115 for the loss of seven wickets from their stipulated overs.
Off-spinner Tanay Khandeshi played a stellar role and got the crucial breakthroughs getting the wickets of Amaan Shaikh for 22 and Akshay Shelar who looked set to carry their team to victory. Khandeshi finished with figures of four wickets for 15 runs to help Central Bank scrape to victory.
In a Group-A match, Bank of Baroda SC comfortably defeated Oriental Insurance SC by six wickets and New India Assurance SC charged to a 46-run win against Union Bank of India in a Group-C match.
