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Hemanth Reddy's Century Heroics: How Andhra Stunned Punjab in Thrilling Chase

What a game of cricket that was. Andhra pulled off a stunning heist against Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Chasing a massive 206, they were nearly dead and buried at 56 for 5. Then, Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy played the innings of his life, smashing an unbeaten century to seal a last-ball win. This victory knocks Punjab right out of the competition.

Key Points: Hemanth Reddy Century Powers Andhra to Win, Knocks Punjab Out

  • Andhra was in deep trouble at 56/5 before a miraculous sixth-wicket partnership
  • Hemanth Reddy smashed his maiden T20 century, hitting 11 fours and 7 sixes
  • Punjab posted 205/5 with contributions from Anmolpreet Singh and Ramandeep Singh
  • The victory ends Punjab's hopes of reaching the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final
2 min read

SMAT: Reddy's unbeaten century helps Andhra win, knock Punjab out of competition

Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy's unbeaten 109 off 53 balls scripted a stunning five-wicket win for Andhra, chasing 206 to eliminate Punjab from SMAT contention.

"From that precarious position, Hemanth and SDNV Prasad turned the contest around with a decisive 155-run stand. - Match Report"

Pune, Dec 14

Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy smashed a blistering unbeaten century to script Andhra’s first win of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League stage and eliminate Punjab from being in contention for the final.

At the MCA Cricket Stadium in Gahunje, Hemanth hammered 109 off 53 balls, his first T20I century and steered Andhra to a five-wicket victory by successfully hunting down 206 with a ball to spare. Put into batting first, Punjab assembled a strong total through collective contributions.

Opener Harnoor Singh’s 42 off 30 balls laid the foundation for the high score before Anmolpreet Singh (47 off 27 balls), Ramandeep Singh (43 off 18 balls) and Salil Arora (42 not out off 22 balls) injected momentum in the middle and death overs.

For Andhra, seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy, who took a hat-trick in the previous game against Madhya Pradesh, returned with figures of 1-39 while left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar took 1-24.

The chase began in turmoil for Andhra, as they were reduced to 12/3 and later 56/5 in the ninth over, with Nitish falling for a duck. From that precarious position, Hemanth and SDNV Prasad turned the contest around with a decisive 155-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Reddy’s innings featured 11 fours and seven sixes, while Prasad’s unbeaten 53 off 35 balls included two fours and four sixes, as the pair carried Andhra home in a proper run-fest. Andhra will next take on an in-form Jharkhand in their final Super League stage match on Tuesday.

Brief Scores: Punjab 205/5 in 20 overs (Anmolpreet Singh 47, Ramandeep Singh 43; Saurabh Kumar 1-24, Nitish Kumar Reddy 1-39) lost to Andhra 211/5 in 19.5 overs (M Hemanth Reddy 109 not out, SDNV Prasad 53 not out, Gurnoor Brar 3-23, Ayush Goyal 1-37) by five wickets

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As a Punjabi, it's heartbreaking to see our team knocked out. But you have to applaud that innings. 109* off 53 balls is just brutal. Our bowling had no answers in the death overs. Need to work on our finishing skills.
V
Vikram M
The partnership with Prasad was clutch! 155 runs for the 6th wicket when the team was 56/5. That's proper temperament under pressure. Shows the importance of domestic tournaments like SMAT in unearthing such talent.
R
Rohit P
While Hemanth deserves all the praise, let's not forget Punjab's batting. 205 is a huge total. Anmolpreet, Ramandeep, and Arora all played well. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to a better individual performance on the day.
S
Sarah B
Following from the US! The scorecard reads like a thriller. To lose 5 wickets for 56 and still win with a ball to spare is insane. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is producing some fantastic cricket. Hope to see Reddy in the IPL soon!
N
Nikhil C
A respectful criticism: Punjab's team selection and bowling changes in the middle overs seemed questionable. Why was Brar, who took 3 wickets, not given his full quota? Tactical errors cost them dearly in a must-win game.
K

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