BPL Sports Club complete comprehensive win over NCA

It was bad news for the youngsters at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as they capitulated to a massive 164-run loss to BPL Sports Club on the third day of the first match in the Coromandel Cement Cup tournament at the RSI ground in Bangalore on Monday.

After conceding a first innings lead of 55 runs to BPL Sports Club, the NCA side allowed their opponents to make a very healthy 247/5 off their allotted 40 overs. Set a stiff target of 303 off 40 overs, the NCA team slumped to a meagre 138 all out in 27.5 overs.

For the BPL Sports Club team it was Adithya Mishra who provided the impetus. Scoring at more than a run a ball, Mishra managed 84 at the top of the innings. Striking six boundaries and clearing the ropes thrice, Mishra spent a little over two hours at the crease before falling to mediumpacer Uday Karkera. When Mishra was dismissed, the BPL Sports Club score was 155/3 in 27.3 overs.

Following Mishra's dismissal, N Mulki (56 in 58 balls) and first innings top scorer C Raghu (40 in 30 balls) took BPL Sports Club to 247/5 in 40 overs, leaving NCA the daunting target of 303 in 40 overs.

In the face of the huge total, the NCA batting line up fell to bits. Vinayak Mane with 32 top scored while GI Singh and leggie Amit Mishra with 22 apiece notched up the only significant scores of the innings. Wickets tumbled at regular intervals and Karnataka Ranji fast bowler Mansur Ali Khan was too good for the NCA finishing with figures of 5/56 from 10 overs.