Rising to the occasion: Azharuddeen struck a swashbuckling 92.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Captain Mohammed Azharuddeen’s classy on-field spectacle (92 off 47 balls 3×4, 9×6,) was the perfect innings to launch the Kerala Cricket League and it powered Alleppey Ripples to a five-wicket victory over Thrissur Titans at the Greenfield stadium here on Monday.
Azharuddeeen’s whirlwind knock made it a no-contest after Titans managed to set a respectable target (162).
Change in momentum
After a circumspect start, during which he nearly gave a chance to M.D. Nidheesh, Azharuddeen found his touch in the momentum-changing fifth over bowled by Aditya Vinod.
The medium pacer bowled two errant full tosses which was deposited over the midwicket for sixes by Azharuddeen. The batter went on a rampage and smashed seven more sixes, mostly off the spinners. The batter holed out when he was in sight of a century but by that time the outcome of the contest was sealed.
Earlier, put into bat, Titans lost a wicket off the very first ball of the innings and it was a plucky knock from Akshay Manohar (57 off 44 balls) that lent substance to the Thrissur outfit’s scorecard.
Rain interrupted the second match between Trivandrum Royals and Kochi Blue Tigers. Tigers were struggling at 97 for seven off 16.2 overs when the heavens opened up. Three run-outs derailed Tigers’ innings as it slipped from 84 for three to 93 for seven.
The scores: Thrissur Titans 161/8 in 20 overs (Akshay Manohar 57, Anand Joseph 3/32, F. Fanoos 3/26) lost to Alleppey Ripples 163/5 in 18.3 overs (Mohammed Azharuddeen 92, Vinoop Manoharan 30, M.D. Nidheesh 2/26).