In the Legends League Cricket (LLC), a thrilling clash unfolded between Suresh Raina's Urbanrisers Hyderabad and Mohammad Kaif's Manipal Tigers. The match, held at Surat's LalaBhai Contractor Stadium, witnessed Hyderabad's convincing victory over Manipal by 75 runs. Dwayne Smith, the seasoned West Indies cricketer, stole the spotlight with the fastest century in LLC history, propelling Hyderabad closer to the championship.
Dwayne Smith's Outstanding Century
Under the leadership of Suresh Raina, Hyderabad set a challenging target of 253 in the first innings. Dwayne Smith's explosive batting display, scoring 120 runs off 53 balls, included a record-breaking century with 14 boundaries and seven sixes. Despite Raina's modest contribution, Gurkeerat Singh Mann's 39 and Asghar Afghan's quick 23 elevated the team's total. Manipal's bowlers, Pankaj Singh and Thisara Perera, managed only two wickets.
Pankaj Singh and Thisara Perera took 2 wickets each for the Manipal Tigers, while McClenaghan and Imran Khan claimed one wicket each.
Manipal Tigers Fall Short
Chasing 254, Mohammad Kaif's Manipal Tigers struggled as their top-order batsmen failed to make an impact. Angelo Perera's entertaining 73 off 30 balls brought some excitement, but the team fell short with a total of 178. Suresh Raina's bowlers, led by Jerome Taylor and Peter Trego, showcased a dominant performance, claiming wickets at regular intervals. Stuart Binny also contributed with two wickets as Manipal Tigers were bowled out in just 16.3 overs.
For Urbanrisers Hyderabad, Peter Trego and Jerome Taylor took 3 wickets each, while Stuart Binny bagged two wickets.
It is essential to highlight that Legends League Cricket serves as the premier platform for cricket legends, offering them the chance to refine and showcase their skills post-retirement from international and domestic cricket.
Mr. Raman Raheja, CEO of Legends League Cricket, expressed pride in the impact the league has on promoting sports culture in the country. He stated, "Cricket rules, unites, excites, and inspires. It's an honor to have played a role, albeit small, in contributing to the growth of the Indian sports economy and ecosystem."
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