04 December,2010 06:33 AM IST | | Husain M Zaidi
Not even in their wildest dreams would IES Raja Shivaji (Dadar) have thought of making it to the final of the Harris Shield inter-school cricket tournament. Add to this the fact that they were promoted to the Elite Division from the Plate Division only this season, and it makes it even more imaginary.
But the newcomers to the top division caused an upset as they beat IES VN Sule Guruji (Dadar) to secure a shot at the title as they now take on Rizvi Springfield (Bandra) in the finale.
On the other hand, Sule Guruji were left to rue their missed opportunities, especially dropped catches, as they literally gifted Raja Shivaji a place in the final. Raja Shivaji chased down 226 for the loss of nine wickets to upset runners-up Sule Guruji.
For Raja Shivaji, middle-order batsman Pratik Manjrekar anchored the innings with an aggressive 71 off 73 balls, to lead them into their first final in nearly a decade (since 2002). Skipper Jatin Gavand'su00a0 half century was also a significant contribution. "It's like a dream. As we stepped into the Elite Division this year, we never thought we would make it to the final," Pratik said.
