Match 4 : Sinhagad Supremos Vs Panhala Pathers: Defending champs continue winning run with last ball win as Darekar, Nigade shine

Defending champions Sinhagad Supremos continued their superb run in the Maharashtra Premier League with a resounding six-wicket win over Panhala Panthers at Poona Club.

In a game that was curtailed to 10 overs per side due to wet outfield, Sinhagad Supremos won the toss and reduced Panthers to 70 for 8, before chasing down the target on the last ball of their inning.

Left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar, and right-hand middle-order batsman Mansingh Nigde were the stars of the show for Supremos. Darekar took four wickets for just four runs in his two over spell, while Nigde scored 41 not out off 26 deliveries.

Panthers had a terrible batting performance, as they went from 15/0 to 24/7 in the space of 22 deliveries. It was the show of two left-arm spinners — Akshay Darekar and Mudassar Mulla—who took six wickets between them.

None of the Panthers top-five batsmen could get into double figures, and it was only because of Anupam Sanklecha’s cameo that Panthers managed to get past the 60-run mark. Sanklecha smacked three sixes and a four in his 12-ball 26, and with ‘keeper Ravi Jadhav, added 35 runs for the eighth wicket off 9 balls before exiting. Jadhav’s unbeaten 10-ball 16 included a four and a six.

Supremos never looked in trouble during their chase, as Man-of-the Match Nigde single-handedly took them past the required total. Nigde hit two sixes and a four in his unbeaten knock of 41, which came off 26 balls. His only four came with Supremos needing one run from as many balls for a victory.

Right-arm pacer Sanklecha was as good with the ball as he was with the bat for Panthers, conceding just six runs from his two overs. Off-spinner Ganesh Kukade turned out to be the most successful bowler for the losing side, finishing with figures of 2-18 from his two overs.

The loss for Panthers means that they are yet to win in this edition of MPL.