Florida [USA], November 30 (ANI): Shreyas Movva's breathtaking cameo of 26 runs off just 10 balls propelled Maryland Mavericks to a thrilling 3-wicket victory over New Jersey Titans, securing their spot in the United States Premier League (USPL) season 3 finals at Broward County Stadium, Florida.
With Maryland Mavericks needing 26 runs off 13 balls, Movva walked in and turned the game on its head. Smashing a six to ease the pressure, he reduced the target to 16 runs off the final over. Movva hammered another six off the first ball of the last over, bringing the equation down to 7 runs off 3 balls.
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With ice in his veins, he struck another six before sealing the game with a boundary on the penultimate delivery. For his match-winning knock, Movva was named Player of the Match.
New Jersey Titans will now face New York Cowboys in the semi-final eliminator on Saturday. The Cowboys, who staged a remarkable comeback in the tournament, defeated the Carolina Eagles in the second semi-final to keep their title hopes alive, a release said.
After winning the toss, Maryland Mavericks chose to bowl. New Jersey Titans started strong, with openers Sujith Gowda and Josh Cobb racing to 68 runs in the first 7 overs. However, Mavericks skipper Shubham Ranjane dismissed both openers, triggering a collapse that left the Titans at 134/5.
Hammad Azam and Joshua James then tried to revive the innings but both were dismissed after in quest scoring quick runs. New Jersey Titans lost 9 wickets while going past the 170-run mark. Arjun Mahesh gave a late push as New Jersey Titans reached the 175-run mark in the allotted 20 overs.
In response, Maryland Mavericks got off to a steady start, thanks to Dwayne Smith's aggressive 17 runs, but lost three quick wickets, slipping to 48/3 in 6.1 overs. Saiteja Mukkamalla and Shubham Ranjane steadied the innings with a 54-run partnership, but their dismissals left the Mavericks at 116/5 in the 15th over.
Sujit Nayak and Bhaskar Yadram tried to carry on the momentum but were dismissed as run rate kept surging in the late overs. However, Shreyas Movva came with a different motive and smashed 26 runs in 10 balls as Maryland Mavericks chased down the target with 1 ball to spare to reach the finals, a release said.
Second Semi-Final: New York Cowboys versus Carolina Eagles
The New York Cowboys continued their resurgence, defeating the Carolina Eagles by 47 runs to stay in contention. Cowboys were bowled out for 148 in 19.5 overs, with Mukhtar Ahmed (68 off 50) and Dilpreet Bajwa (35 off 17) providing a strong start.
Carolina Eagles faltered in the chase, folding for just 101 runs in 17.5 overs. Player of the Match Parveen Kumar dismantled the Eagles' batting lineup with three crucial wickets.
The Cowboys, who lost their first three matches, have now secured back-to-back victories, setting up a high-stakes eliminator clash against the New Jersey Titans on Saturday.
The United States Premier League (USPL) Season 3 has delivered edge-of-the-seat cricket over the past week. With Maryland Mavericks already in the finals, all eyes are on the semi-final eliminator to decide their opponent for the grand finale on December 1. (ANI)
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