Dynamic Aayush hits fighting 214-ball 95 to help Borivli school post 196 in response to defending champions Al Barkaat's first innings score of 167.
An Al Barkaat fielder takes evasive action as SVISu00e2u0080u0099s Aayush Vaity works his way to 95. Pics/Atul Kamble
A fighting stand of 93 runs for the eighth wicket between Aayush Vaity (95 off 214 balls) and Soham Gondkar (27 off 145 balls) helped Swami Vivekanand International School (Borivli) take a crucial 29-run first-innings lead over defending champions Al Barkaat MMI (Kurla) on Day Two of the three-day MSSA-organised U-14 Giles Shield final at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday.
Al Barkaat off-spinner Aryan Kumar picked up five wickets, while leg-spinner Yaseen Shaikh claimed three as SVIS were bowled out for 196.
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A day earlier, medium-pacer Aayush had taken three wickets as Al Barkaat were bowled out for 167 in their first innings.
At stumps, the Kurla school were 12-0 in their second essay with Aryan Bhadane and Vedant Bhilare unbeaten on one and 11 respectively.
Resuming on 39-2, SVIS were cautious for the first 45 minutes and didn't lose a wicket. However, they lost three wickets within a span of three overs and were tottering at 65-6.
No. 7 batsman Aayush and No. 8 Aftab Manihar then added 28 runs for the seventh wicket to initiate a fightback before the latter was bowled by Aryan on the last ball before lunch, leaving SVIS in trouble at 93-7.
Aayush Vaity
With another 75 required to get past Al Barkaat's first innings score and only three wickets in hand, it looked like the Kurla school were on top, but Aayush and No. 9 batsman Soham had other plans. Aayush accelerated, adding around 40 runs with Soham in the first-hour post-lunch. The pressure got to the Kurla lads, who became a tad sloppy in the field. Wicketkeeper Shourya Desai missed an opportunity to stump Aayush soon after his half-century.
Then, with just four runs required to overtake Al Barkaat's total, Soham got one away to the third man fence on the last ball before tea, much to the relief of the anxious Borivli camp.
Off-spinner Chirag Modak clean bowled Aayush after tea to break the partnership, with the score reading 186-6. "We planned to play the whole day but unfortunately the last two wickets fell soon after my dismissal. We will try to bowl them out as quickly as possible tomorrow and go for an outright victory," said Aayush, after scoring his second half-century of the tournament.
On falling just five runs short of what would have been his maiden Giles Shield century, he said, "I wasn't aware that I was batting on 95 and was disappointed on learning about it later. But I'm happy that my knock has taken my school close to winning the Giles Shield."
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