Sobisco Smashers Malda secured their place in the Bengal T20 League Season 3 final after defeating Servotech Siliguri Strikers by 11 runs in an exciting second semifinal at Eden Gardens on Saturday. They will now face Shrachi Rarh Tigers, who cruised past Novus Royals Purulia in the first semifinal.
The match belonged to Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, who produced a sensational hat-trick in the final over to seal victory for Malda.
Batting first, Malda posted a competitive 134 all out in their 20 overs, with Writam Porel leading the charge with a valuable 49-run knock. For Siliguri Strikers, Ishan Porel impressed with figures of 4/32, while Vishal Bhati chipped in with two wickets.
Chasing 135, the Strikers struggled to build momentum and eventually finished
on 123/9. Suraj starred with the ball, claiming 3/30, while Prayas Ray Barman provided crucial support with 2/22 as Malda booked their spot in the title clash.
Earlier in the day, Shrachi Rarh Tigers delivered a dominant performance to defeat Novus Royals Purulia by seven wickets. Put in to bat, Purulia failed to establish partnerships and were bowled out for 107 in 18.2 overs. Lokesh top-scored with 48, while Mithilesh Das contributed 23.
Rarh Tigers' bowlers shared the spoils, with Rohit Kumar returning impressive figures of 4/24. Shahbaz Ahmed and Sukhmeet Singh also made key contributions with two wickets each.
The chase proved straightforward for the Tigers, who raced to 110/3 in just 12.1 overs. Sumanta Gupta remained unbeaten on 47 from 31 deliveries, while Shahbaz Ahmed added a quickfire 31 off 20 balls to guide his side into the final comfortably.
The stage is now set for an intriguing championship showdown between Sobisco Smashers Malda and Shrachi Rarh Tigers.
