SMAT: Hemanth Reddy’s stunning 109 powers Andhra to thrilling five-wicket win against Punjab

Andhra young batter Hemanth Reddy showed great determination against Punjab's bowling, scoring an unbeaten 109 to help his team pull off a stunning five-wicket win in a high-scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League A match.

Raddy fights back after Andra's batting collapse

Playing just his second SMAT game, Reddy walked in at a tough time as Andhra’s top and middle order collapsed while chasing a stiff target of 206. The team was struggling at 56 for five and staring at a likely defeat.

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The 23-year-old, who has mainly played in the Andhra Premier League, then produced the best knock of his career. He smashed 109 not out from 53 balls, hitting 11 fours and seven sixes, as Andhra reached 211 for five with just one ball to spare.

Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar made early inroads, dismissing openers Srikar Bharat (1) and Ashwin Hebbar (4) in the first over to leave Andhra at seven for two. Brar, who picked up three wickets for 23 runs, struck again in the fifth over by removing captain Ricky Bhui (15).

Ayush Goyal added to Andhra’s troubles by dismissing India all-rounder Nithish Kumar Reddy. The score soon slipped from 35 for four to 56 for five inside nine overs.

With wickets falling regularly, Andhra needed someone to take control of the chase, and Reddy rose to the occasion. Batting at number three, he played carefully early on before shifting gears, even as wickets continued to fall at the other end.

Reddy found solid support from SD Prasad, who scored an unbeaten 53 off 35 balls. The pair put together an unbroken 155-run stand for the sixth wicket, steering Andhra to victory.

Andhra registered a win after Madhya Pradesh

The win revived Andhra’s campaign after their earlier four-wicket loss to Madhya Pradesh. Punjab, meanwhile, were knocked out of the tournament following their earlier defeat to Jharkhand. For Nithish Kumar Reddy, it was another tough outing after scoring 25 in the previous match.

Earlier, Punjab had posted a competitive total, with Harnoor Singh (42) and captain Prabhsimran Singh (20) providing a good start. Anmolpreet Singh (47), Salil Arora (42) and Ramandeep Singh (43) added valuable runs to take the team past 200.