HQ, East Zone win opening matches

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 16  

Defending champions Headquarters (HQ) and East Zone won their opening league matches of the 46th All India Food Corporation of India (FCI) Inter-Zonal T20 Tournament here today. 

The opening round matches at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, were reduced to 15 overs a side following rain. While Head Quarters defeated North Zone by 35 runs, East Zone registered an eight-wicket win over South Zone. 

Opting to bat, Head Quarters scored 148/7 in 15 overs with Mayank Siddana scoring a whirlwind 52. Siddana hit eight boundaries and a six during his stay in the middle. 

Umang Sharma scored a brisk 22, while Pulkeet Narang contributed 19 runs to the total. 

Rishi Dhawan (2/18), Divesh Khanna (2/25) and Paras Dogra (2/26) claimed an equal share of wickets for North Zone. 

Needing 149 runs for victory, North Zone could manage only 113/5 in their allotted quota of overs. 

Akash Malhotra scored 49 runs off 40 balls, including six boundaries and two sixes, for North Zone, while Vibhu Tyagi remained unbeaten on 19. 

For the bowling side, Shiva Singh (2/17) and Pulkeet Narang (2/21) claimed two wickets each. 

In the second match, East Zone restricted South Zone to 95/8 in 15 overs with Amir Goni claiming 2/12. 

G Srikanth made an unbeaten 60 runs for South Zone. His innings was studded with six boundaries. 

In reply, East Zone reached home in 12.1 overs with eight wickets to spare.

Openers Ritwik Roy Choudhary (27) and Indranil Bose (25) laid the winning foundation, while Debopam Sarkar (26) and Amir Goni (16) confirmed the win with their unbeaten contributions.