Bengal Pro T20 League: Siliguri Strikers open campaign with thumping win over Harbour Diamonds

Kolkata: Siliguri Strikers on Tuesday made a winning start in the Bengal Pro T20 League after registering an 8-run victory over Harbour Diamonds in their opening match here at the Eden Gardens. The Bengal Pro T20 League kicked off on Tuesday with Siliguri Striker and Harbour Diamonds locking horns in the opening match which turned out to be a low-scoring thriller. The League will run till June 28 and it promises thrilling cricket, ensuring fans remain engaged and entertained

Siliguri Strikers were bundled out for 141 inside 20 overs but the side didn’t lose hope and restricted Harbour Diamonds to 133 all out despite Badal Singh Balyan’s flourishing knock of 37 off 22 balls.

Chasing 142, Harbour Diamonds suffered an early blow, as opening batter Sayan Mondal departed in the second over after scoring just four runs. The start worsened when the Harbour Diamonds lost the second wicket in the fourth over. It was a slow start for Harbour Diamonds as the side scored just 64 runs in the first 10 overs. Two quick wickets in the 13th and 14th overs made sure, all hopes of Harbour Diamonds were dented. However, Badal didn’t lose hope and kept firing from one end.

Skipper Manoj Tiwary played a sluggish knock of four runs in 13 balls. In the last over Harbour Diamonds needed 17 runs in six balls and as soon as Badal got out trying to whack the ball, the side fell nine runs short of the target.

Batting first, Siliguri Strikers were folded for 141 all out in the 20th over. Put into bat first, the Siliguri-based team got off to a bad start, losing opening batter Abhishek Raman in the second over. Ankur Pal and Vishal Bhati stitched a 38-run stand to revive the innings, but Siliguri Strikers lost another opener before the completion of powerplay.

Wickets kept falling at regular intervals and Siliguri Strikers were soon found reeling at 81/5 in the 11th over. Vikas Singh and Shantanu did some repair work in the middle as the score went past the 100-run mark. Siliguri Strikers lost both Vikas and Shantanu (44 in 41 balls) in the same over. Akash Deep too departed in the next over as the falling of wickets didn’t stop. In the end, Siliguri Strikers were folded 141/10 in 19.3 overs.

Siliguri Strikers will now lock horns with Murshidabad Kings on Thursday. Siliguri Strikers is representing Siliguri and other catchment areas such as Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Kalimpong. Fans are excited to see their favourite players take the field in the tournament.

The Bengal Pro T20 League, which is managed by Arivaa Sports, is conceptualized on the lines of the IPL involving eight franchise teams in both the men’s and women’s categories.

–IANS