The final day of the third week of the Virtual Cricket Tournament 2020 saw six matches being played on Friday, June 19. There were some memorable performances in the simulated reality league cricket tournament, and here, we look at what transpired through the day and bring you the summary of each virtual match.
ENG vs AUS, Match 19: AUS won by nine wickets:
AUS started the day on a high by clinching a nine-wicket victory over ENG in the 19th game of virtual cricket.
ENG were put to bat by AUS captain Armand Finch, and although they enjoyed a quick-fire start, they were restricted to 69/2 in five overs, with Jackson Bairstow scoring the highest (39 off 18 balls).
Like ENG, AUS went into the firing mode right the beginning, with the Daniel Warner and Finch stitching a 44-run stand before the latter was dismissed. Sam Smith did the rest as AUS won by nine wickets.
NZ vs PAK, Match 20: NZ won by 11 runs
NZ had their retribution against PAK after losing to them on Day 3, as they clinched the game by 11 runs on the final day.
Ken Williamson’s men were put in to bat by PAK and were able to put 56/2 on board after five overs. Shahid Khan shone the brightest as he not only gave away two runs but also picked as many wickets in his over.
With the bat, PAK had a dreadful start as they lost Baba Azem and Shoaeb Malik in the very first over, and despite trying their best, they could only manage 45/2 in five overs.
IND vs SA, Match 21: SA won by seven runs
IND won the toss and elected to field in the 21st game of the simulated reality league cricket tournament against SA.
The decision backfired as SA put 56/3 on board in five overs, courtesy Darren Miller’s late blitz of 21 off eight deliveries. IND made a blistering start with the bat, but SA bowlers were able to keep them at bay, restricting them to just 49/1 in five overs, with Kagiso Radaba and Charles Morris giving away just five runs off their overs.
AUS vs IND, Semi-Final 1: IND won by nine wickets
IND bounced back in style in their semi-final clash against AUS, beating them by nine wickets.
After putting AUS to bat, the likes of Kailash Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahar worked their magic to restrict AUS to a measly 48/6. The spinning duo picked four wickets and gave away just six runs between them.
IND made a positive start with the bat and it only took them 3.1 overs to book a place in the final.
NZ vs SA, Semi-Final 2: SA won by nine wickets
NZ decided to bat in the second semi-final of the e-cricket tournament, and went on to post 60 runs without losing a wicket. Callum Munro scored 27 off 12 while his opening partner, Markus Guptill smashed 33 off 18 deliveries.
While it was thought to be a decent total, SA achieved the target in 4.2 overs after losing a solitary wicket, courtesy Hanif Amla’s 49 off 20 deliveries, which included 10 boundaries and one six.
IND vs SA, Final: IND won by 10 wickets
The stage was set for an ultimate final, and IND delivered when it mattered the most, beating SA by 10 runs.
Having won the toss and elected to field, IND made a promising start with the ball, dismissing both Quincy De Kock and Hanif Amla in the second over before Fabian du Plessis steadied the ship with his 13-ball 33. By the end of five overs, SA managed 49/3 on board.
It took IND just 3.2 overs to reach their target as Rohan Sharma scored 33 in 14 while Shikhar Dhaven posted 20 off six to guide their team to a 10-wicket victory.
