247 37/10 in 10 overs (Venky 8, Joji 4, Ravi 4/15) lost to Invaders.BBC 39/3 in 8.4 overs (Yash 13, Ranjith 12, Raja 2/14) by 7 wickets
The Big Bouncers Cup tournament concluded here at the Big Bouncers arena as Invaders thrashed the 247 in a one sided game. 247 who were designated as favorites to win the tournament after finishing first in group B, could not exhibit even half of their potential as they were crushed by the arch rivals in the final.
The tournament kicked off three month ago, on seventh of June. 12 teams were split across two groups and they went head to head in a single round robin league cum knockout format. After three months of exciting cricket, 22 amateur yet exciting cricketers were ready for the final battle which will lead them to the title. The final game was expected to be a revitalizing game for the spectators because it was a rematch between 247 and Invaders.BBC, the two top teams from group B.
Remember the India vs Pakistan game from 2019 ICC cricket world cup? While Virat and Co. were thrashing the Pakistanis all across the park, 247 and Invaders.BBC were fighting a battle of their own. It was the first meeting of both teams in the tournament and it was 247 who came out on top after a thrilling game.
Time flies, fast forward 83 days, the Rainey season is almost gone (Or maybe it never leaves Bangalore?). The cricket season is shifting to South Asia and Australia from UK, just like every year. The Ashes is about to conclude and the County Championship has entered its final few rounds.
A lot can change in 83 days, even the result of a toss too. The two captains entered the arena exactly at 0130 hrs. for the toss, a vital part of the game in any final and the coin landed in Invader’s favor this time around. They invited 247 to bat first. Kiran found his rhythm in the very first over as he had the wicketkeeper batsman Nijoe caught for 1 off his third ball. That was not all; he came back and removed Abhishek to end his 8 ball struggle in his very next over. Dual strikes from Ravi Shetty left 247 4 down for 6 in the third over and they could never recover from this collapse.
The bowlers were dominating the scorecard outright. For a moment it looked like a different 247 XI has taken the field. None of their batsmen could reach the figure of 10 and they were bundled out for 37 in the 10th over. Extras were the highest scorer for 247s inning, without them they would have managed only 19. Maybe the Invaders needed something on board to entertain the crowed?
The game was over in the first inning itself, nothing was left for the Invaders to chase to be fair. Although they lost three wickets in the chase, they gunned down the target with 68 balls still to go. With his figures of 2 for 14 in 3.4, Raja tried his best to make a match out of nothing but Ranjith and Yash sailed the Invaders to trophy without much trouble. Ravi Shetty was awarded man of the match award for his magnificent performance of 3-2-15-4.
