Air India Red fly on Raina’s knock

After posting 243 for nine in 47 overs, India Cements failed to nip Naman Ojha (59) and Suresh Raina (92 not out) early, their 109-run partnership for the second wicket seeing Air India (Red) win by seven wickets with four overs unutilised, reports G Krishnan.

India Cements made only 12 runs in Power Play III (batting) and that cost them a place in the semifinal of the BCCI Corporate Trophy.

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After posting 243 for nine in 47 overs, India Cements failed to nip Naman Ojha (59) and Suresh Raina (92 not out) early, their 109-run partnership for the second wicket seeing Air India (Red) win by seven wickets with four overs unutilised.

For the second day running, India Cements' batting revolved around the century-partnership — 133 for the third wicket in 151 balls — between S Badrinath (91) and captain Rahul Dravid (66). The rest of the batsmen barring opener Abhinav Mukund (30) came a cropper.

After a 10-minute rain break during the 15th over caused a stoppage of 45 minutes, everyone's attention turned to the message on the giant screen. The umpires, Shiva Ravi from Tamil Nadu and Ulhas Gandhe from Vidarbha read a rather lengthy Power Play rule, and relayed it to the Air India captain Yuvraj Singh and the batsmen, Badrinath and Dravid, before restarting play.

Clause 42.1.8 stipulates: "If play is interrupted during the first or the second Power Play and on resumption the overs required to be bowled in that Power Play have already been exceeded, then the subsequent Power Play(s) will assume to have been taken consecutively up to that point." Effectively, the 15th over, which began as the bowling Power Play, turned into the batting team's Power Play. India Cements had no choice but to continue, upsetting their plans a bit.