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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Devdhar, Pujara guide West to third consecutive Deodhar Trophy triumph

Devdhar, Pujara guide West to third consecutive Deodhar Trophy triumph

March 27, 2014 22:00 IST
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The victorious West Zone team poses with the Deodhar Trophy after beating North Zone in the finalWest Zone produced a clinical all-round performance to score a comprehensive 133-run victory over North Zone in the final and win their third successive Deodhar Trophy in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

Riding on Kedar Devdhar's 94 and skipper Cheteshwar Pujara's patient half-century, West Zone posted a challenging 281 for 3 in 50 overs.

Spinners Arpit Vasavada (3-20) and Akshar Patel (2-23) then emerged the pick of the bowlers as North Zone were bundled out for 148 in 37.1 overs at the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

North Zone never got the partnerships they required to overhaul the target, the best being a 48-run effort between Nitin Saini (32) and Gautam Gambhir (13) for the opening wicket.

Mandeep Singh (37) was the highest run-scorer for the Harbhajan Singh-led side as wickets fell at regular intervals.

The other wicket-takers for West Zone were Jaydev Unadkat (1-40), Jasprit Bumrah (1-31) and Dhawal Kulkarni (1-32).

Earlier, opener Devdhar, who fell short of his third first-class century, put on a 144-run stand with skipper Cheteshwar Pujara (75) to build a strong foundation after Parthiv Patel (13) departed early.

A late blitz from Yusuf Pathan (32 not out off 21 balls) in company of Ambati Rayadu, who made unbeaten 46 from 39 deliveries, took West Zone to a fighting total.

While Pujara took 114 balls for his knock that included four fours and a six, right-handed Devdhar smashed nine boundaries and a maximum in his 101-ball effort.

Rayadu's five fours and Pathan's two boundaries and as many sixes provided the impetus as North Zone bowlers struggled to take wickets.

Pacer Rishi Dhawan (2-46) picked two scalps for North Zone, while one wicket went to veteran Ashish Nehra (1-49).

Brief scores:

West Zone: 281 for 3 in 50 overs (Kedar Devdhar 94, Cheteshwar Pujara 75; Rishi Dhawan 2/46)

North Zone: 148 all out in 37.1 overs (Mandeep Singh 37, Nitin Saini 32; Arpit Vasavada 3/20).

Image: The victorious West Zone team poses with the Deodhar Trophy after beating North Zone in the final

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