Jaffer takes Mumbai to Wills Trophy

Jaffer takes Mumbai to Wills Trophy
ROHIT JOSHI

VADODARA, NOVEMBER 22: Mumbai played like champions, keeping their slate clean, as they slaughtered Vadodara in the virtual final of the West Zone one-day series which turned out to be a damp squib at the Motibaug ground here on Wednesday.

The nine-wicket victory helped them qualify from the West Zone for the Wills Trophy, the finals of which will also be held in Vadodara next year. It was the Mumbai openers, Wasim Jaffer who remained unbeaten on 116, and Robin Morris (56) who never gave Vadodara a chance to make a fight of it.

Having restricted the hosts to 203, the two openers made their intentions clear early. Even the fearsome Rakesh Patel had no effect on them. Jaffer slammed four boundaries in the pacer’s fourth over and again blasted four fours and a six in Hamid Ali’s fifth over. His 116, inclusive of 15 fours and 2 sixes, came off only 98 balls. Robin Morris was not to be left behind, and he too struck 6 fours and 2 sixes in his knock of 56. He went going for another big one off Valmik Buch and Rakesh Patel took a well judged catch inches inside the long off fence.

That was the only Mumbai wicket to fall and Vinod Kambli was again called upon to wrap up the formalities, which he did in Jaffer’s company, scoring 27 off 31 balls, as Mumbai won with 21 overs to spare. Earlier the hosts, who had looked quite formidable throughout the tournament, collapsed to 203 all out after being put in to bat.

Scoreboard

VADODARA:Connor Williams c Samir Dighe b Santosh Saxena 5, Daulat Thorat c S Dighe b S Saxena 9, Milap Mewada run out 0, Jacob Martin c Vinod Kambli b S Saxena 66 (5x4, 1x6), Tushar Arothe c S Saxena b Siraj Bahutule 76 (75b, 10x4, 1x6), Atul Bedade c Amit Dani b Ramesh Powar 5, Ajit Bhoite c Kiran Powar b Paras Mhambray 25, Rakesh Patel c P Mhambray b Robin Morris 1, Valmik Buch c A Muzumdar b R Morris 3, Hamid ALi lbw 0, Shekhar Joshi not out 2 Extras: (lb-2, nb-1, w-7) 10 TOTAL: (all out in 47.1 overs) 203
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Williams), 2-6 (Mewada), 3-33 (Thorat), 4-138 (Arothe), 5-150 (Bedade), 6-179 (Martin), 7-192 (R Patel), 8-197 (Buch), 9-201 (H Ali)

Bowling: Paras Mhambray 6.1-0-19-1, Santosh Saxena 7-0-39-3, Robin Morris 8-0-30-3, Amit Dani 6-0-26-0, Ramesh Powar 10-0-42-1, Siraj Bahutule 10-0-45-1.

MUMBAI: Robin Morris c Rakesh Patel b Valmik Buch 56 (6x4, 2x6), Wasim Jaffer Not Out 116 (135m, 98b, 15x4, 2x6), Vinod Kambli Not Out 27 (50m, 31b, 1x4, 1x6) Extras: (b-1, lb-1, nb-5, w-1) 8 TOTAL: (for 1 wkt. in 29.2 overs) 207
Fall of wickets: 1-109 (Morris)

Bowling: Rakesh Patel 7-0-52-0, Shekhar Joshi 4-0-26-0, Hamid Ali 5-0-44-0, Valmik Buch 7-0-45-1, Ajit Bhoite 6-0-34-0, Daulat Thorat 0.2-0-4-0