Guwahati, 14 August (HS): Prachurya Kataki produced the best bowling figures of the tournament so far with a sensational 5/19, but his outstanding spell was not enough as Nagaon Rangers edged past Tezpur Titans by three runs in a thrilling match of the Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water Assam Premier League at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.

Batting first, Nagaon Rangers posted 123 in 19.3 overs. Jitu Ali top-scored with a brisk 45 off 33 balls, while Dhruv Raaj Borah contributed 36 off 30 deliveries. The duo helped the Rangers recover after the early dismissal of captain Sumit Kashyap.

Tezpur Titans fought back with the ball, with Ayushman Malakar taking 3/27. Kataki then produced a spectacular spell, claiming five wickets for just 19 runs in his four overs. His victims included Dhruv Raaj Borah, Anurag Talukdar, Sk Jnyanam, Bhargav Dutta and Sunil Lachit.

Chasing 124, Tezpur made a positive start through Wasim Akram Haque, who scored 21 off 14 balls. Roshan Topno then anchored the innings with 31 off 35 deliveries, while Sidhartha Sarmah added 13 off 10 balls to keep the Titans in contention.

Nagaon Rangers, however, continued to pick up crucial wickets. Sk Jnyanam returned figures of 2/17, while captain Sumit Kashyap claimed 2/25. Under pressure in the final overs, Tezpur were eventually bowled out for 120 in 20 overs.

Nagaon Rangers therefore secured a thrilling three-run victory, while Kataki's remarkable five-wicket haul remained the standout individual performance of the contest.

Brief Scores:

Nagaon Rangers: 123 in 19.3 overs (Jitu Ali 45, Dhruv Raaj Borah 36; Prachurya Kataki 5/19, Ayushman Malakar 3/27)

Tezpur Titans: 120 in 20 overs (Roshan Topno 31, Wasim Akram Haque 21; Sk Jnyanam 2/17, Sumit Kashyap 2/25, Sunil Lachit 1/20)

Result: Nagaon Rangers beat Tezpur Titans by 3 runs.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash