Srinagar: Southern Superstars secured their spot in the final of the Legends League Cricket 2024, defeating Konark Suryas Odisha by seven wickets at Bakshi Stadium here on Saturday.
An impressive batting display from Hamilton Masakadza and strong bowling performances guided the Superstars to a comfortable victory.
Winning the toss, Southern Superstars elected to bowl. Konark Suryas Odisha's innings got off to a disastrous start, collapsing to 8/4 within 3.5 overs.
Richard Levi and Dilshan Munaweera opened for Odisha, but they faced early trouble. A partnership of 45 runs between Levi and Irfan Pathan for the fifth wicket stabilised the innings somewhat before Levi was dismissed for 22 from 25 balls.
From there, the Pathan brothers took charge. Yusuf Pathan smashed 43 from 21 balls, while skipper Irfan anchored the innings with a captain's knock of 62 from 48 deliveries, helping the team post a competitive total of 148/8 in 20 overs.
For the Superstars, the bowling attack was led by Hamid Hassan (2/27), Abdur Razzak (2/19), Subodh Bhati (2/29), and Kedar Jadhav (2/33), who each claimed two wickets each.
Chasing 149, Southern Superstars opened with Martin Guptill and Shreevats Goswami. Guptill fell early, scoring just 4 from 3 balls, dismissed by Diwesh Pathania.
However, Masakadza and Goswami combined for an 82-run stand for the second wicket. Goswami contributed 23 from 27 balls before walking back to the pavillion, while Masakadza played a crucial knock, scoring 67 off 49 balls. Pawan Negi's quickfire 40* from 20 balls sealed the victory, as the Superstars reached the target in 17.2 overs.
For Konark Suryas Odisha, Diwesh Pathania (1/22), Vinay Kumar (1/21), and KP Appanna (1/14) were the wicket-takers.
Konark Suryas Odisha will now face the winner of the eliminator match on Monday, October 14.
Masakadza said, "Last year, I played a few games in Jammu, and this year I got the chance to play in Srinagar. I commend the organisers for bringing cricket here."
Masakadza added, "The wicket isn't easy. It's difficult at times — it's a bit two-paced and spins a little, but the smaller boundaries work in the batter's favour, allowing you to catch up if you don't start well."
"The crowd and the atmosphere were great. The last game saw a bigger crowd, and I hope even more people come for the next games. The LLC is competitive, and all the players are putting in their best," he added.
