Deodhar Trophy: South Zone crush North East Zone by nine wickets | Cricket News – Times of India

Having won the toss, North East Zone chose to bat first but faced a formidable challenge from the South Zone bowlers, especially Vidwath Kaverappa and R Sai Kishore. They dismantled the North East batting lineup, restricting them to a paltry 136 runs.
In response, South Zone had little trouble chasing down the target, accomplishing the task in just 19.3 overs. Opener Rohan Kunnummal showcased his brilliance, crafting an unbeaten fifty with an impressive 87 runs off 58 balls, including eight boundaries and five sixes.

This victory further solidified South Zone’s position at the top of the table with 12 points, and their superior net run rate (NRR) played a significant role in boosting their standing.
For this match, South Zone paired Vidwath with the left-arm pacer Arjun Tendulkar, who replaced Vasuki Koushik. Arjun made an immediate impact, dismissing North East Zone’s opener Anup Ahlawat.
Additionally, Vidwath and Sai Kishore also joined the wicket-taking list, further denting the opposition. At one point, North East Zone struggled at 31 for 3.
Throughout their innings, North East Zone failed to build any substantial partnerships, except for a 30-run alliance for the fourth wicket between their captain M Langlonyamba and K Priyojit. Priyojit emerged as the top-scorer for North East Zone, contributing 40 runs off 104 balls.
The most successful bowlers for South Zone were Vidwath, who now leads the wicket-takers’ chart with 12 wickets from three matches, and Sai Kishore, closely following with 10 wickets to his name.

Overall, South Zone’s exceptional performance in both batting and bowling ensured a dominant victory, leaving no room for doubt about their superiority in the Deodhar Trophy.
The gulf in class between the two sides was evident once Rohan and Mayank Agarwal mounted the chase.
Rohan, the 25-year-old opener from Kerala, was quick to assert himself and peppered the cover and point regions with delectable shots.
Rohan’s power was also on view as he cleared long-on and long-off fences five times. Rohan’s fifty was his fifth in List A matches.
The South opening pair went for quick runs keeping in mind the NRR, and added 95 runs in 15.4 overs.
The dismissal of Agarwal, who was trapped leg before by Imliwati Lemtur for 32 was a minor stumbling block.
Brief scores:
North East Zone 136 all out in 49.2 overs (K Priyojot 40; Vidwath Kaverappa 3/27, R Sai Kishore 3/22) lost to South Zone: 136/1 in 19.3 overs (Rohan Kunnummal 87 n.o, Mayank Agarwal 32) by 9 wickets.
(With PTI inputs)