Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 14 (ANI): Captain Denish Das led from the front with a half-century as Barpeta Braves chased down Guwahati Royals' 137-run target to register a four-wicket victory in the Assam Premier League (APL) at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday.
The win lifted Barpeta Braves to third place in the points table with eight points from seven matches, while Guwahati Royals slipped to second, also on 10 points, behind table-toppers Dibrugarh Warriors on net run rate, according to a release.
Put into bat, Guwahati Royals were given a steady start by Sanjay Kumar Singh and captain Rishav Das after Rohit Sen was dismissed early. Rishav anchored the innings with a composed 39 off 35 balls, while Nibir Deka contributed 33 off 34 deliveries. Jyoti Deka added 14 to take the Royals to 136/6 in their 20 overs.
Barpeta Braves' bowlers kept the Royals under control by picking up wickets at regular intervals. Shubham Kumar Gupta was the pick of the attack with two wickets.
In reply, Barpeta Braves made a positive start through Saurav Mousum Dihingia, who struck 23 off 18 balls, including two fours and two sixes. After his dismissal, Pranjal Paul played a patient knock of 24 off 35 deliveries before Denish Das took charge of the chase.
The Barpeta skipper produced a captain's innings, hitting 52 off 41 balls and striking five fours. His assured knock kept the chase on course through the middle overs, while Abhilash Maurya added a valuable 19 off 16 balls.
With the target within reach, Arun Sonar provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten seven off just two deliveries, including a six. Barpeta Braves reached 137/6 in 19.4 overs to complete a four-wicket victory and move into third place in the standings.
Brief Scores:
Barpeta Braves beat Guwahati Royals by 4 wickets
Guwahati Royals: 136/6 in 20 overs (Rishav Das 39, Nibir Deka 33, Sanjay Kumar Singh 17; Shubham Kumar Gupta 2/35)
Barpeta Braves: 137/6 in 19.4 overs (Denish Das 52, Pranjal Paul 24, Saurav Mousum Dihingia 23; Deepak Gohain 2/18). (ANI)
APL: Denish Das' 52 powers Barpeta Braves to four-wicket win over Guwahati Royals
