Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 16: Brilliant performances by Rajesh Khatri, Manoj Bhat and Praful Dhar guided RS Cricket Club and Elite Cricket Club to resounding victories over their rivals in the ongoing Kashmiri Pandit Cricket League (KPCL) Season-III, being organised by Safran Cricket Club at Country Cricket Stadium Gharota, near here today.
Earlier, in the first match, RS Cricket Club thrashed Friends Cricket Club in an easy contest by 6 wickets.
Put into bat, Friends Cricket Club scored 119 runs in 19.1 overs, losing all their wickets in the process. Sunil Singh top scored with 45 runs off 38 balls, while Sunil Manhas and Raja Nadeem contributed 31 and 16 runs to the total respectively.
For RS Cricket Club, Rajesh Khatri and Rajesh Raina took 3 wickets each, while Naman and Sandeep Dhar bagged 2 wickets each.
In reply, RS Cricket Club chased the target easily in 14.2 overs, losing 4 wickets in the process, thus won the match by 6 wickets. Naman top scored with 43 runs, while Rajesh Khatri and Nittu contributed 35 and 22 runs to the total respectively.
For Friends Cricket Club, Ravinder Singh Chib and Raja Nadeem claimed one wicket each. For his magnificent all-round show, Rajesh Khatri was declared as the man of the match.
In another match, Elite Cricket Club registered a convincing victory over Young Strikers Cricket Club in an easy contest by 32 runs.
Batting first, Elite Cricket Club scored 154 runs in the stipulated 20 overs, losing 7 wickets in the process. Manoj Bhat played a magnificent innings of 81 runs off 51 balls, studded with 8 fours and 1 six, while Atul Watloo and Nitan Sharma contributed 27 and 15 runs to the total respectively.
For Young Strikers Cricket Club, Ankit Pandita, Rahul Bhat and Vishal took 2 wickets each, while Ravi Pandita and Ajay claimed 1 wicket each.
In reply, Young Strikers Cricket Club managed to score 122 runs in 20 overs, thus lost the match by 32 runs. Rajat Safaya top scored with brisk 30 runs off 17 balls, studded with 4 fours and 2 sixes, while Hardeep Slathia, Anshul Vaishnavi, Sunny Raina and Ankit Pandita contributed 16, 15, 15 and 15 runs to the total respectively.
For Elite Club, Praful Dhar was the pick of the bowlers who took 3 wickets by conceding 19 runs in his 4 overs, while Atul Watloo also bagged 3 wickets, while Ritik Joshi, Vivek Koul and Sunil Jalla claimed one wicket each. Manoj Bhat was adjudged as man of the match for his brilliant batting display.
The matches were officiated by Ashok Singh and Rohan as the umpires, while Arun Zalpuri was the scorer and Ajay Peshin acted as the match referee.
The tournament is being held under the overall supervision of Chief Organiser Sarthak Khoda.