CCI Boys, Sultans meet in Mumbai billiards final

Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS): CCI ‘Billiards Boys’ and favourites PJ Hindu Gymkhana ‘Sultans of Hazard’ registered contrasting wins Monday to set up a title clash in The Zarine and Yazdi Daruvala Charitable Trust Mumbai Billiards League at the Dadar Parsee Colony Gymkhana.

‘Billiards Boys’ halted Park Club ‘Samurais’ with a 570-340 win after Hasan Badami and Hitesh Kotwani sealed the issue in the opening two ties, while star-studded ‘Sultans’ ended the winning streak of Central Railway Mechanical Institute ‘Star Blue’ with an exciting 515-500 win.

Asian bronze medalist Devendra Joshi and twice world runner-up Dhruv Sitwala put ‘Sultans’ in a commanding position after the opening two ties that left Star Blue’s Sunil Ghadge a stiff target of 185 against Maharashtra junior No.1 Jaiveer Dhingra’s 200 in the deciding tie.

While Dhingra led 176-113 and 180-130 and looked set to take the match away without much ado, Ghadge brought the contest to life when he inched his way 170-183. The narrow deficit put Dhingra under immense pressure in the dying stages before he recovered in the nick of time to pip Ghadge in a nail-biting finish.

Semifinal results: PJ Hindu Gym ‘Sultans of Hazard’ bt CRMI ‘Star Blue’ 515-500; CCI ‘Billiards Boys’ bt Park Club ‘Samurais’ 570-340.