Iyer, Aman knocks help Bandra Blasters win

Mumbai: Two dropped catches cost Shivaji Park Lions a cumulative 62 runs and eventually the match. Playing their opening game in the inaugural edition of the T20 Mumbai League, the Lions’ sloppy approach on the field allowed Namo Bandra Blasters to score a matchwinning 182. The Blasters later restricted the Lions to 170 and won by 12 runs.



Lions won the toss and put the Blasters in. In the process, they did well to restrict the blasters to 33 at the end of the power play. However, in the next passage of play, the Lions began losing the plot.Shivaji Park Lions Blasters’ skipper, an India cap and prolific Mumbai scorer Shreyas Iyer, was dropped by Swapnil Salvi when he was only 19. Iyer took full advantage of the let off and went on to score a 33-ball 51. By the time Iyer departed, the Blasters were 86-2 off 11.4 overs. Opener Kevin Almeida (17) was the other batsman back in the dressing room.


If Iyer’s gaffe hurt the Lions, another let off cost them very dearly too. Aman Khan, who looked alarming, was dropped by Lions ’keeper Hardik Tamore while attempting to take a running catch behind the stumps. Aman, who was on 32 then, went on to score a 28-ball 62 and helped the Blasters reach a competitive score on a wicket suited for batsmen.

“They bowled well initially, but Shreyas (Iyer) laid the foundation with his halfcentury and I just took it from there,” Aman, who was later named man of the match for his 62, said. “Our bowlers did a great job. Because by the time the Blasters came in to bat, the wicket had eased out considerably and 182 was a target which could be achieved easily. But our bowlers and our discipline on the field sealed the match for us,” he added.

In reply, the Lions, led by the talented Mumbai middle-order bat Siddhesh Lad, lost an early wicket in the form of Paul Valthaty (2) when the score was just 11. But the bigger blow came in the form of Lad’s wicket when the batsman was brilliantly caught by Iyer at midoff. Lions Opener Bravish Shetty (52) did try to salvage the situation but did not find support from the rest of the batsmen.

Raunaq Sharma (13) and Tamore (26) did share an important 33-run partnership off 17 balls and tried to make a match out of it in the death overs, but Prashant Bhoir got rid of the duo and helped the Blasters to a 12-run win.

In a match played last evening, Akash Parkar’s unbeaten 37-ball 82 and Aditya Dhumal’s 50 off 34 balls helped Mumbai North East Triumph Knights beat Sobo Supersonics by four wickets.

The Knights, chasing 184, were reduced to 56-6 at one stage. The duo shared an unbeaten partnership of 130 runs to see the team home in a dramatic manner.

Brief scores: Namo Bandra Blasters 182 for 5 in 20 overs (Aman Khan 62, Shreyas Iyer 51, Sagar Trivedi 2-37, Shivam Dubey 2-38) beat Shivaji Park Lions 170 for 9 in 20 overs (Bravish Shetty 52, Swapnil Salvi 34, Prashant Bhoir 3-28, Azhar Ansari 2-34) by 12 runs; Sunday Night: Sobo Supersonics 184-7 (Jay Bista 52, Abhishek Nayar 30, Akash Parkar 3-30) lost to Mumbai North East Triumph Knights 186-6 (Akash Parkar 82 not out, Abhishek Nayar 2-24).