It is all getting intense as we enter the business end of the Saurashtra Premier League 2023. On Monday, Gohilwad Gladiators secured a crucial win over Zalawad Royals.
The encounter also decided the fates for both the franchises. The win meant that Gladiators became the first team to secure a spot in the SPL 2023 final. However, a loss for the Royals meant they now have no chance of making it to the final.
This also meant that the winner of the game between Kutch Warriors and Halar Heroes will be the second finalist. The match between the Warriors and Heroes on Tuesday is as good as a semi-final.
MORE: Bet on Saurashtra Premier League 2023 and other cricket matches from India
What happened in the match between Gohilwad Gladiators and Zalawad Royals?
Zalawad Royals won the toss and elected to bowl. The Royals bowled well enough to restrict the Gohilwad Gladiators to a achievable total of 155.
The Gladiators' skipper Prerak Mankad was the star of the night, as he proved his mettle with qualification to the final on the cards. Mankad scored 44 runs off 34 balls before being dismissed by Dev Dand.
Opener Nihar Vaghela chipped with with a valuable knock of 38 runs. Dev Dand and Mohit Goraniya were on the money for the Royals. The duo gave away 39 runs in 7 overs between them, picking up two wickets in the process.
In response, the Zalawad Royals fell eight runs short of the target of 156. The opening duo of Chirag Sisodiya and Kishan Parmar scored 35 and 34 respectively. After an opening partnership of 66 runs in just 7.2 overs, it seemed Royals would run away with the win.
However, never say never in sport. The Royals instead crumbled as they lost wickets in bundles. They lost four wickets for 12 runs in the middle overs, and lost three wickets in the final over.
Shaurya Sanandia, Prerak Mankad, and Yuvraj Chudasama bagged two wickets each for the Gladiators.
MORE: SPL 2023: Full schedule and results
When is the SPL 2023 final?
The Gladiators are done with their group stage matches. They will play the winner of the Kutch Warriors and Halar Heroes in the final on Thursday, 31 August.
The Zalawad Royals will face the Sorath Lions on the 30th August in their final group stage game. Both matches will be hosted at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
MORE: Suryakumar hopes to crack ODI code in Asia Cup 2023
