Agarkar guides Tata SC to 267 against Air India Blue

MOHALI: A late blitzkrieg by skipper Ajit Agarkar (56) pushed Tata Sports Club to a competitive 267 all out against Air India Blue in the second semi-final of the inaugural BCCI Corporate Trophy at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium on Sunday.
However, put into bat, half of the Tata team had returned to pavilion with the score not even crossing the 150-run mark but the heroics of India discard Agarkar coupled with a 24-run cameo from stumper Sufiyan Shaikh lent their total respectability.
Agarkar played a blazing innings, taking just 35 balls en route his 56. He hit four boundaries and three sixes and also shared a valuable 68-run seventh wicket stand with Wilkin Mota (17).
Although Shaikh's stay at the wicket lasted just nine balls, it was full of action as he clobbered five boundaries.
Sent to bat, Tata Sports were in a tight spot after losing two early wickets but the 80-run partnership between Ishank Jaggi (52) and Nishit Shetty (63) resurrected the innings after the initial jolt.
Jaggi took 59 balls for his knock which included four shots to the fence and one hit over the ropes while Shetty batted patiently consuming 82-balls for his innings.
But soon their good work was nullified by a barrage of wickets. Left-arm spinner Sony Sharma broke the partnership by taking the scalp of Jaggi and then within 30 balls Romesh Powar (11), Rohan Gavaskar (6) and Shetty also returned to pavilion.
Pacer Pankaj Singh drew the first blood when he dismissed Manoj Joglekar. His new ball partner RP Singh too joined the party by removing the other opener Sahil Kukreja cheaply to give a dream to the airmen.
Pankaj (4/41) and RP Singh (3/57) were the stars in the bowling department for Air India Blue, sharing seven wickets between them.