Baroda rode on skipper Kedar Devdhar’s fighting 64 and bowlers’ impressive show to beat Punjab by 25 runs and enter the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Put into bat at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Baroda posted a competitive 160 for 3 and then restricted Punjab to 135 for 8.
Half-centuries from skipper Devdhar (64 off 49 balls) and two-down Kartik Kakade (53 not out off 41balls) laid the foundation for Baroda’s total.
Baroda lost opener Ninad Rathva (15) early as he was cleaned up by experienced pacer Siddharth Kaul (1/31).
Then in-form Vishnu Solanki (12) and Devdhar joined hands and fetched 14 runs off the sixth over as Baroda ended the powerplay at 44 for 1.
When it looked like the two would take the game away from Punjab, young leggie Mayank Markande (1/29) did the trick and trapped Solanki in front in the ninth over as Baroda slumped to 57 for 2.
Devdhar got a life on 31 when Kaul dropped a skier at short-fine leg.
He grabbed the chance…