In a thrilling finale at Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat, the Legends League Cricket 2023 witnessed an intense battle where Manipal Tigers emerged victorious, defeating Urbanizers Hyderabad by six wickets. The match, played on a flat pitch, saw Hyderabad setting a challenging target of 187 runs, thanks to Aaron Clarke’s 80 and Gurkeerat Singh’s 64.
In response, Manipal had a promising start, courtesy of Robin Uthappa. However, a sudden loss of wickets in the middle overs raised concerns until Asela Gunaratne took charge. With a splendid half-century, Gunaratne steered his team to victory, securing the championship.
Earlier, Hyderabad faced a setback as opener Martin Guptill departed for a duck. Yet, Dwayne Smith’s partnership with Aaron Clarke stabilized the innings. Clarke, with 80 runs off 52 balls (including 6 fours and 4 sixes), and Gurkeerat Singh, contributing 64 runs off 36 balls, built a strong alliance. Trego added 17 runs with two sixes in six balls.
Chasing a target of 188, Manipal Tigers initiated a powerful pursuit. Robin Uthappa scored 40 runs off 27 balls, while Chadwick Walton added 29 runs off 17 balls.
In the middle order, Asela Gunaratne’s explosive 51 runs off 29 balls, including five sixes, and Thisara Perera’s quick 25 runs off 13 balls, brought their team close to victory. Colin de Grandhomme sealed the win with a six on the first ball.
Manipal Tigers vs Hyderabad Highlights
First Innings
Hyderabad Score – 187/5 in 20 overs
Hyderabad batting performance
R Clarke 80 (52)
Gurkeerat Singh 64 (36)
Manipal bowling performance
Pankaj Singh 4-43-2
Thisara Perera 4-32-1
Second Innings
Manipal Score – 193/5 in 19 overs
Manipal batting performance
Asela Gunaratne 51(29)
Robin Uthappa 40(27)
Hyderabad bowling performance
Stuart Binny 4-20-3
Shadab Jakati 3-34-1