Guwahati, 16 August (HS): Dibrugarh Warriors became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water Assam Premier League after defeating Jorhat Stallions by five wickets at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.

Chasing 133, Dibrugarh reached 134/5 in 18.2 overs, with Sidhartha Sankar Baruah producing a stunning unbeaten 24 off just nine balls to finish the chase in style.

After opting to field, Dibrugarh’s bowlers kept Jorhat under pressure throughout the innings. Nihar Narah was dismissed for a duck, while captain Swarupam Purkayastha scored 22 off 14 balls. Rajveer Singh added 26 off 33 deliveries, but regular wickets restricted Jorhat to 132/8 in 20 overs.

Ranjan Bikash Das and captain Jitumoni Kalita claimed three wickets each. Ranjan returned figures of 3/35, while Kalita was impressive with 3/12 from four overs. Sidhartha also contributed with 2/13.

Dibrugarh lost Parvej Musaraf early in the chase, but Diwiz Pathak and Rituraj Biswas steadied the innings. Pathak scored 31 off 26 balls, while Rituraj anchored the chase with 38 off 37 deliveries. Ayush Agarwal added 12 before being dismissed.

With the chase still requiring a final push, Sidhartha Sankar Baruah launched an explosive assault, smashing two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 24 off nine balls at a strike rate of 266.67. Captain Jitumoni Kalita remained unbeaten on 12 off nine balls as Dibrugarh crossed the target with 10 balls to spare.

The victory takes Dibrugarh Warriors to 12 points from eight matches and back to the top of the league table, while also confirming their place in the top four. Barak Legends are second with 11 points, followed by Guwahati Royals with 10 points.

Brief Scores:

Jorhat Stallions: 132/8 in 20 overs (Rajjak Uddin Ahmed 30*, Rajveer Singh 26, Wasiqur Rahman 23, Swarupam Purkayastha 22; Ranjan Bikash Das 3/35, Jitumoni Kalita 3/12, Sidhartha Sankar Baruah 2/13).

Dibrugarh Warriors: 134/5 in 18.2 overs (Rituraj Biswas 38, Diwiz Pathak 31, Sidhartha Sankar Baruah 24*, Jitumoni Kalita 12*; Vedant Pandey 2/19).

Result: Dibrugarh Warriors beat Jorhat Stallions by five wickets.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash