By Rehan Siddiqui
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: India, who scored 107 runs off their last 10 overs, beat New Zealand by 52 runs to win the Sharjah Cup cricket tournament on Friday and a prize of 30,000 dollars.
All-rounder Kapil Dev hammered 49 not out off 26 balls in the late scoring spree that carried India to a formidable 250 for seven from their 50 overs. New Zealand never looked like overwhelming them and were all out for 198 in 45.3 overs.
The New Zealanders collected 20,000 dollars and Sri Lanka, the third team in the competition, 15,000 dollars,
Leg spinner Narendra Hirwani, who marked his test debut earlier this year with 16 wickets against the West Indies, was named man of the series after he destroyed the New Zealand middle order to finish with four for 46 off 10 overs,
His 10 wickets in three matches made him the most successful bowler in the tournament.
Captain Ravi Shastri, who struck three sixes and three fours in making 72 off 68 balls, helped Kapil Dev in taking India’s overall run rate to five and over. The pair added 73 for the sixth wicket and for his contribution; Shastri was made man of the match,
Kapil Dey rounded off the Indian innings by swinging ’the last two balls from Ewen Chatfield for leg side sixes. Richard Hadlee also suffered as the later Indian batsman stepped up the tempo, his last five overs going for 41 runs.
New Zealand had bowled and fielded magnificently to restrict India to 143 for four off the first 40 overs. Only veteran Mohinder Amarnath batted freely at the start of the Indian innings, scoring a compact 58.
While John wright was going well, New Zealand might have pulled off an unlikely victory. The New Zealand Captain batted beautifully for his 55, which included five fours, and his run Out was a wasteful end to his fine effort.
Of the later batsman, Mark Great batch and lan Smith scored 47 and 40 but never threatened to deny India their victory.
“We have no excuses”, Wright said “My run out and our bowling in the last ten overs cost us the match”
Wright described Hirwani as an “interesting bowler” and said: “We did not play as intelligently as we should have done against him”,
Shastri said: “It always feels good to win. We were in control after scoring 250 which is a very formidable total.”
Article extracted from this publication >> April 8, 1988
