Guwahati, Aug 14 (IANS) Prachurya Kataki produced the best bowling figures of the tournament so far by picking a sensational five-wicket haul. But his effort went in vain as Nagaon Rangers edged out Tezpur Titans by three runs in a low-scoring thriller in the inaugural Assam Premier League here at the ACA Stadium on Friday.

Kataki’s extraordinary spell of 5-19 dismantled the Nagaon middle and lower order, but the Rangers held their nerve with the ball to bowl out the Titans for 120 in 20 overs. Earlier, opting to bat, the Rangers posted a modest 123 in 19.3 overs.

Jitu Ali led the way with a brisk 45 off 33 balls, while Dhruv Raaj Borah provided valuable support with a 30-ball 36 to help their side recover from the early loss of skipper Sumit Kashyap.

The Titans mounted a strong fightback through Ayushman Malakar, who claimed 3-27, before Kataki took center stage. The bowler’s four-over spell proved devastating as he removed Borah, Anurag Talukdar, SK Jnyanam, Bhargav Dutta, and Sunil Lachit.

In response, the Titans began their chase on a positive note with opener Wasim Akram Haque striking a quickfire 21 off 14 balls. Roshan Topno then anchored the middle overs with a patient 31 off 35 deliveries, alongside Sidhartha Sarmah’s 13 off 10 balls, to keep the chase within reach.

However, the Rangers continued to chip away with wickets at vital junctures. SK Jnyanam returned disciplined figures of 2-17, while skipper Sumit Kashyap picked up 2-25 to apply the brakes on the scoring rate. With the equation coming down to the wire, the Rangers bowling attack held their composure in the final overs to seal a tight victory.

Brief Scores: Nagaon Rangers 123 in 19.3 overs (Jitu Ali 45, Dhruv Raaj Borah 36; Prachurya Kataki 5-19, Ayushman Malakar 3-27) beat Tezpur Titans 120 in 20 overs (Roshan Topno 31, Wasim Akram Haque 21; Sk Jnyanam 2-17, Sumit Kashyap 2-25) by three runs.

–IANS

nr/