Vijay Hazare Trophy: Services Pip Rajasthan To Top Spot In Group E, Enter Quarters

All-rounder Lakhan Singh impressed with both bat and ball to help Services defeat Rajasthan by 16 runs and set up a quarter-final clash with Kerala in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Tuesday. In a top-of-the-table concluding group E clash, Services notched 232/7 after Rajasthan elected to field at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Oval ground. In reply, Rajasthan were restricted to 216/9 with left-arm spinner Rahul Singh doing the maximum damage with his 3/33 from his 10 overs that included two maidens.

Lakhan (2/54) and Diwesh Pathania (2/36) claimed two apiece as Services topped group E pushing Rajasthan to second spot on head-to-head count after both teams finished on 16 points.

As per rules, Rajasthan will now have to play the pre-quarterfinal where they will face Karnataka at Jaipur on December 19.

Ravi Chauhan top-scored with 61 from 81 balls (5x4, 2x6) while his opening partner Chauhan gave a fine stand with a 68-ball 42 (3x4, 1x6) as they put on a solid 101-run opening partnership in 21.5 overs.

Services suffered a mid-innings collapse losing three wickets in 38 runs to be 139/3 in 30.2 overs as Mumtaz Qadir put on a steady 33 from 59 balls, while wicketkeeper-batsman Devender Lochab hit a 38-ball 31 to take them to a modest 232/7.

Defending the small total, Services bowlers gave regular breakthroughs and did not allow Rajasthan to settle down to restrict them to 216/9.

Left-arm spinner Rahul Singh did the maximum damage with a 3/33 from his 10 overs that included two maidens, while Lakhan (2/54) and Diwesh Pathania (2/36) claimed two apiece.

Brief Scores

Assam 267/8; 50 overs (Rishav Das 71, Riyan Parag 66; Akash Pandey 2/36, Amit Kuila 2/69) beat Railways 205; 48.1 overs (Mohammad Saif 52, Vivek Singh 41; Pritam Das 3/38, Mukhtar Hussain 2/22, Parag 2/35, Swarupam Purkayastha 2/42) by 62 runs.

Services 232/7; 50 overs (Ravi Chauhan 61, Lakhan Singh 42; Aniket Choudhary 3/20, Shubham Sharma 3/44) beat Rajasthan 216/9; 50 overs (Abhijeet Tomar 58, Shubham Sharma 47; Rahul Singh 3/33, Diwesh Pathania 2/36, Lakhan Singh 2/54) by 16 runs.

Punjab 288/8; 50 overs (Gurkeerat Mann 105, Anmolpreet Singh 101; Lakshay Garg) tied with Goa 288/7; 50 overs (Snehal Kauthankar 148 not out, Samar Dubhashi 56).