21-Feb-2009 98
Formidable Bengal beat Orissa in their fourth and last league match by six wickets to emerges champions in the East Zone Vijay Hazare Trophy Cricket Tournament at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata today.
Bengal obtained their victory to young batsman Shreevats Goswamy, who scored a 108-ball 71 and medium pacer Ranadeb Bose, who picked up three wickets for 40 runs.
Put into bat, Orissa were restricted to 211 for seven despite a half-century each by stumper Haladhar Das and all-rounder Rakesh Mohanty.
The duo stitched together 108 runs in the sixth wicket to rescue Orissa from a disappointing 79 for five.
Das top scored in the match with 76 off 108 balls (4x7), while Mohanty remained unbeaten on 56 (70 bals, 4x6).
Chasing the modest target, host Bengal capitalised on two fifty-plus partnerships to romp home with 3.1 overs to spare.
With this victory Bengal completed their zonal league engagements, garnering 18 points from four outings. Orissa, who have nine points from three matches, will play their last match against Assam on February 23.
Brief scores: Orissa 211/7 in 50 overs (Haladhar Das 76, Rakesh Mohanty 56 n.o: Ranadeb Bose 3/40) lost to Bengal 212/4 in 46.5 overs (Shreevats Goswamy 71, Sourav Ganguly 36, Manoj Tiwari 34).
