SINGAPORE - Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) were deserving winners in the Schools National C Division cricket final on Wednesday (Aug 15) against arch-rivals Raffles Institution by 68 runs, having made 155-4 in 20 overs before restricting their opponents to 87-7.

This is the third consecutive year that ACS (I) have won the title and RI have finished as runners-up.

RI won the toss at the Ceylon Sports Club and elected to field. ACS (I) were off to a slow start, with captain, Girin Gune and Inesh Basu batting steadily against the accurate RI bowling.

After Inesh got out for seven, Neil Karnik and Girin batted out the allotted 10 overs off the 1st innings scoring 52-1. Girin was unbeaten on 37.

When RI batted, Neil and Abhiram Krishnan took wickets in their respective overs to have RI tottering at 2-3. At the end of their 10 overs, RI were 42-4.

ACS batsmen Girin and Neil tore the RI bowling to shreds by attacking right from the first over of the 2nd innings. They scored at will, with Girin bringing up his fifty in grand style.

He was finally out for an attacking 68 off 50 balls and Neil got out in the next over for 43 off 34 balls. Pranav Nitin Maheshwari, a bowler, and Akhileeswar Ashok added 23 in 11 balls to boost the ACS score. Their total over two innings was 155-4.

RI were up against the rate, which was almost 12 runs an over. ACS (I) bowlers kept up the pressure and contained them well, with Neil taking 2-11 off four overs as RI managed just three runs more than in their opening innings.