BCCI AGM Festival Match: Jay Shah wrecker-in-chief; Team Ganguly falls short by one run

The
15-overs-a-side
match
at
the
Eden
Gardens,
held
on
the
eve
of
the
Board’s
AGM,
had
its
share
of
nostalgia.

Playing
the
role
of
a
finisher,
Ganguly,
who
batted
at
No.
6,
smashed
two
sixes
and
four
boundaries
en
route
to
a
20-ball
35.
He
had
to
retire
–
as
per
the
rules
of
the
match
–
and
his
team
fell
short
by
just
a
run.

At
Ganguly’s
home
ground,
it
was
the
BCCI
secretary
Shah
who
did
the
star
turn,
picking
3/58
with
his
seven
overs
of
spin
bowling
to
defend
128
on
a
nippy
December
evening.

His
wickets
included
that
of
Mohammad
Azharuddin,
one
of
Eden’s
favourites,
who
was
trapped
lbw
for
2.
Shah
also
dismissed
Suraj
Lotlikar
of
Goa
Cricket
Association.

There
was
a
third
blow,
without
any
addition
to
the
total,
in
the
first
ball
of
the
next
over
when
Cricket
Association
of
Bengal
president
Avishek
Dalmiya,
who
opened
the
batting,
was
run
out
for
13.

Then
came
the
city’s
favourite
son
Ganguly
who
batted
with
his
usual
elegance
as
he
drove
and
cut
on
the
off-side
and
sent
two
balls
out
of
the
ground
with
his
trademark
step-
out
shots
to
race
to
35.

Earlier,
electing
to
bat,
BCCI
Secretary’s
XI
rode
on
a
92-run
partnership
between
Arun
Dhumal
(36)
and
Jaydev
Shah
(40)
to
post
128
for
three
in
the
stipulated
overs.

Azharuddin
and
Ganguly
shared
the
new
ball
and
bowled
10
overs
between
them.
Ganguly
returned
with
1/19
from
his
3
overs,
taking
the
wicket
of
Pranav
Amin,
while
Azharuddin
had
figures
of
2-0-8-0.

Brief
scores:

BCCI
Secretary’s
XI:
128/3
in
15
overs
(Jaydev
Shah
40
retired,
Arun
Dhumal
36,
Jay
Shah
10
not
out;
Sourav
Ganguly
1/19)
beat

BCCI
President’s
XI
127/5;
15
overs
(Sourav
Ganguly
35
retired,
Mohammad
Azharuddin
2,
Avishek
Dalmiya
13;
Jay
Shah
3/58)
by
one
run.