SPL cricket: LPU beats OUAT in a thriller

Odisha Sun Times Sports Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb. 23:

Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara edged out local challengers Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in a thrilling encounter as the 5th edition of the SOA Premier League (SPL) kicked off at the SOA University stadium here on Sunday.

The Group-C match ended in a tie after which LPU, who had finished runner-up in the tournament last year, won the tie in the nerve-wracking super over.

OUAT, after winning the toss, asked the visitors to bat first and bowled them out for 167 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Amit Sundar top scored for LPU with 60 off 42 balls laced with eight boundaries and two sixes.

For OUAT, Mahendra Sarmath (3/41) and Debasis Das (2/19) were the pick of the bowlers.

Jitendra, with 45 (5×4, 1×6) off 27 balls, kept OUAT’s hopes of reaching the rather stiff target, but the local challengers were also dismissed for exactly the same score in 20 overs. Rishav Muthoo claimed three wickets for LPU conceding 24 runs.

In the super over that was played to decide the winner, OUAT could score only 6 runs while LPU hit seven off only four balls to emerge victorious.

A total of 12 university teams are participating in the T-20 tournament the final of which will be played on February 28.

The winners will be presented a cash award of Rs 100,000 while the runner-up will take home Rs 50,000, besides trophies.