Bud Cricket Club Win APCC Title After Thrilling Final

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: A splendid century and a memorable hat-trick highlighted the final of the Assam Premier Club Championship Cricket (Guwahati Leg) at Judges’ Field on Tuesday.

Bud Cricket Club clinched the title on the basis of their first-innings lead against City Cricket Club.

Resuming the final day at their overnight score of 202-3, Bud’s unbeaten batters Sanjay Singh and skipper Swarupam Purkayastha added another 50 runs to the total. Purkayastha departed for 96 off just 98 balls. Sanjay, however, completed his century in style, scoring 108 off 174 deliveries with 12 fours.

Anurag Talukdar and Kaushik Giri further strengthened Bud’s position with a crucial 63-run partnership for the sixth wicket, helping the team cross the 300-run mark. Wicketkeeper-batter Anurag remained unbeaten at 61, while Kaushik added a valuable 31 runs. Bud ended their first innings on 361.

Robi Chetry produced a sensational hat-trick in the later part of the innings.

Trailing by 249 runs in the first innings, City Cricket Club struggled again in their second outing and were reeling at 80-5 when the match concluded. Rohit Singh picked up three wickets, while Pushparaj Sharma claimed two. Rahul Hazarika top-scored for City with 22 runs.

Swarupam Purkayastha was named Player of the Final. Robi Chetry earned the Highest Wicket-Taker award and was also adjudged Player of the Tournament, while Dhruv Raj Borah (GTC) received the Highest Run-Getter award.

The champions, Bud Cricket Club, were awarded a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, while runners-up City Cricket Club received Rs 1 lakh.

Rajinder Singh, Joint Secretary of the Assam Cricket Association, graced the award ceremony as the chief guest. The event was also attended by general secretary of Bongaigaon DSA Bikash Kumar Pathak along with key officials of the Guwahati Sports Association including treasurer Kajal Paul choudhury, CEO Munin Nobis and others.

Both Bud Cricket Club and City Cricket Club have now qualified for the Intra-Zonal Round (Headquarter Zone), which is scheduled to begin on February 24.

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