Sonepur, June 1: In the Patliputra Zone of the Shyamal Sinha Inter District Under-16 Cricket Tournament, which began on Saturday under the Bihar Cricket Association, Arwal secured a victory by defeating Vaishali by seven wickets.

In the match at the local railway ground, Arwal’s Lavkesh Kumar took five wickets, while Yash Raj (55 runs) and Utsav Kumar (62 runs) both scored half-centuries.

Vaishali won the toss and opted to bat. However, openers Raunak Kumar and Prem Kumar were dismissed early, leaving the team at 27 for 2. Jayant Raj then stabilized the innings with a half-century, supported by Gopal Kumar, Manish Kumar, and Prince Raj. Vaishali ended their innings with a total of 144 runs in 36.3 overs.

Vaishali’s key scorers were Prem with 12 runs, Jayant Raj with 52 runs off 85 balls (including 7 fours), Gopal Kumar with 21 runs, Manish Kumar with 25 runs, and Prince Raj, who remained unbeaten on 14 runs.

For Arwal, Lavkesh Kumar was the standout bowler with 5 wickets. Atul Raj and Sachin Singh also contributed, taking 3 and 2 wickets respectively.

Chasing a target of 145 runs, Arwal reached 148 for 3 in 29.3 overs, led by half-centuries from Yash Raj and Utsav Kumar. Yash Raj scored 55 runs with 6 fours from 82 balls, while Utsav Kumar made 62 runs with 9 fours from 62 balls. Lavkesh remained unbeaten with 11 runs.

Brief Scores:

Vaishali: All out for 144 runs in 36.3 overs. Prem 12, Jayant Raj 52, Gopal Kumar 21, Manish Kumar 25, Prince Raj not out 14, extras 10. Atul Raj 3/17, Lavkesh Kumar 5/34, Sachin Singh 2/17.
Arwal: 148 runs for 3 wickets in 29.3 overs. Yash Raj 55, Utsav Kumar 62, Lavkesh not out 11, extras 10. Prince Raj 3/25.