APL 2022| CSR vs BZW | Harsha Vardhan masterclass help CSR decimate Bezawada

As it eventually panned out as a nail-biting contest, it was Coastal Riders (CSR) who triumphed, maintaining their three-match winning spree in the 13th match of the Andhra Premier League (APL) 2022 versus Bezawada Tigers (BZW).

While Maddila Harsha Vardhan and CR Gnaneshwar delivered the goods with the bat, Cheepurapalli Stephen and Siraparapu Ashish starred with the ball to help CSR register a remarkable victory.

Opting to bat first, Coastal Riders went against the norm as the tournament has, so far, belonged to the chasing team. 

But to their benefit, a spirited batting effort paved the path to a match-winning total.

Gnaneshwar and Vardhan aced their roles to perfection as they stitched an 89-run partnership and set the tone for an enthralling finish.

After Gnaneshwar lost his wicket to Ricky Bhui, Mitta Lekhaz Reddy did not let the innings slow down and slammed a quickfire 15-ball-33. 

But the final flourish never really came for CSR as Harsh Vardhan and Reddy perished at 63 and 33 runs, respectively. 

Only 13 runs were scored off the last 13 deliveries, with the Riders eventually finishing at 181/4.

Chasing a pretty defendable total, the Tigers had a mighty task up their hands, considering how the surface Visakhapatnam has played out in the competition. 

Bodapati Sumanth, K Maheep Kumar and Maddala A Praneeth handed their side a perfect start as the score at the 10th-over mark read 91/2. 

However, CSR's bowlers pulled back the things in the middle overs, reducing them to 96/5 in 11.3 overs. 

Pyla Avinash and Jagdish Rami Reddy tried to breathe some life in the run-chase, but their efforts proved too little for a victory.

Ultimately, Ricky Bhui and Co. could get to 174/9 in 20 overs, losing the fixture against the Gnaneshwar-led outfit by seven runs.

For his 41-ball 63, Harsha Vardhan was adjudged the 'Player of the Match'.

Brief scores:

Coastal Riders - 181/4 (20)

Maddila Harsha Vardhan 61(43), CR Gnaneshwar 52(42);

Lalith Mohan 1-16 (3), Ricky Bhui 1-19 (2)

Bezawada Tigers - 174/9 (20)

Pyla Avinash 35(25), Maddala A Praneeth 30(18);

Siraparapu Ashish 2-22 (4), Cheepurapalli Stephen 2-33 (4)

Coastal Riders won by seven runs.