MUMBAI, May 2: Rohan Dharwat did the star turn for Pune XI as he single-handedly overcame the challenge of Elf-Vengsarkar Academy (EVA) `A' in a league match of the under-14 national-level cricket tournament for the Elf Cup at the Oval maidan, here, today.

Chasing 210 for victory in the stipulated 35 overs, Dharwat, who appeared for his Secondary School Board exams last month, cracked a superb 106 that was laden with 12 boundaries and five sixes. And when the umpires drew stumps, Pune, sitting pretty at 208-8 in 33 overs, were adjudged victors as they received 20 penalty runs owing to opponents EVA's slow over rate.

Coming in, with the side precariously placed at 11 for 2, Dharwat waded into the rival camp with the long handle even as he lost partners at the other end.

Medium-pacer Paul Velthaty (3-41) and left-arm spinner Aditya Kulkarni (2-48) shared the spoils for EVA.

Earlier, EVA were propped by opener Soham Dalvi's strokeful 76 (13x4) and his 94-run association with Prathamesh Patil (17) for the first wicket. Later, Vineet Indulkar (30) and Sangram Bagul (41) strung a 66-run stand for the third wicket to further swell the total.

Dharwat was the most successful bowler for the Pune outfit claiming both Indulkar and Bagul conceding 42 runs and then shone with the bat to complete his domination to bag the Man of the Match award. Pune XI, now top the league standings with two victories in as many matches.

The earlier encounter too had its share of thrills. The Brijesh Patel-Imtiaz Ahmed Academy, Bangalore (BPIAA), needing 175 for victory in the alloted 35 overs against Tissot Cricket Academy (TCA) were cruising along merrily at 150 for five with more than five over remaining.

But a sudden collapse saw the encounter take an about turn. BPIAA lost the next five batsmen for a meagre 13 runs and with it the match too by 11 runs.

Opener Pranay Sanklecha (30), Vikrant Shetty (41) and Arun Tangaraj (40) saw their efforts wasted as three batsmen ran themselves out when in sight of victory.

Ankur Gupta emerged the star performer for the Delhi team scalping four for 39 runs.

Gupta (47), who had earlier excelled with the bat in the TCA total of 174 was declared Man of the Match.

Brief scores: Tissot Cricket Academy, Delhi 174 in 34.4 overs (Puneet Sharma 20, Yogesh Kumar 36, Ankur Gupta 47, Rupinder Singh 21; Anish Jose 3-28, CR Sachin 2-24) bt Brijesh Patel-Imtiaz Ahmed Academy, Bangalore 163 in 33.1 overs (Pranay Sanklecha 30, Vikrant Shetty 41, Arun Tangaraj 40; Ankur Gupta 4-39) by 11 runs.

Elf Vengsarkar Academy `A' 209-4 in 35 overs (Soham Dalvi 76, Vineet Indulkar 30, Sangram Bagul 41, Paul Velthaty 21 n.o.; Rohan Dharwat 2-42) lost to Pune XI 208-8 in 33 overs (Rohan Dharwat 106; Velthaty 3-41, Aditya Kulkarni 2-48)

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.