Kolkata, June 17 (IANS) Novus Royals Purulia held their nerve in yet another last-over thriller in the Bengal T20 League Season 3 men’s competition, edging Sobisco Smashers Malda by eight runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday to seal a place in the semifinals. With the victory, Purulia became the third team after Sobisco Smashers Malda, and Shrachi Rarh Tigers to qualify for the last four.

Batting first, Purulia posted 139/8 in 20 overs, with Yuvraj Deepak Keshwani top-scoring with 40 off 28 balls. Ankur Paul and Priyam Sarkar also chipped in with useful contributions to help Purulia post a competitive total.

For Malda, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Ramesh Prasad, and Prayas Ray Barman bagged two wickets each.

In reply, Malda fought till the very end but fell short, scoring 131/8 in their 20 overs. Prayas Ray Barman top-scored with 32 off 28 balls, but the target proved just beyond their reach.

Mithilesh Das (3-18) and Pradipta Pramanik (3-20) starred with the ball for Purulia, while Ravi Kumar and Pritam Chakraborty chipped in with a wicket each to help their side clinch a memorable victory and a semifinal berth.

The Bengal T20 League is a franchise-based T20 cricket competition organised under the aegis of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Now in its third season, the league features eight city-based franchises representing the breadth of West Bengal – Adamas Howrah Warriors, Novus Royals Purulia, Kolkata Royal Tigers, Murshidabad Kings & Kueens, Rashmi Nes Medinipur Wizards, Servotech Siliguri Strikers, Shrachi Rarh Tigers, and Sobisco Smashers Malda — competing across men’s and women’s competitions. Men’s matches are held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, with women’s matches at the JU Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata.

Brief scores:

Novus Royals Purulia 139/8 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Deepak Keshwani 40) beat Sobisco Smashers Malda 131/8 in 20 overs (Prayas Ray Barman 32; Mithilesh Das 3-18, Pradipta Pramanik 3-20) by 8 runs.

–IANS

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