Labour minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal with the Bengal team, the winners of the MP Verma Memorial cricket tournament, at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, May 27: Bengal today defeated Bihar in the final of the MP Verma Memorial cricket tournament organised under the banner of the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) at Moin-ul-Haq stadium.

In the final match played between Bihar and Bengal today, the visitors defeated Bihar by 85 runs. Batting first, Bengal scored 194 runs losing eight wickets in 30 overs.

For Bengal, Miraj Ansari scored 70. Ansari was well-supported by Ejaz Ansari. He scored 21 and Harish Pandey chipped in with 34 runs.

During the run chase, Bihar lost wickets at regular intervals and were dismissed for a paltry 109 in 25.4 overs. None of the Bihar batsmen managed to score big.

For Bihar, Rahul Kumar scored 25. Subham scored 11.

In all, it was a brilliant bowling performance by Bengal. Harish Pandey was the pick of the bowlers of the visitors with two scalps in his five-over spell giving away just 13 runs.

Ansari was adjudged Man of the Match.

Bihar had reached the final of the tournament though a toss. The decision to decide the finalist through toss was taken by the skippers of both teams as the semi-final match between Bihar and Orissa on Thursday was suspended because of rain.

In the first semi-final match played on Wednesday, Bengal defeated Jharkhand to be the first team to reach the summit clash.

At the prize distribution ceremony, labour minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal said his government was committed towards the development and promotion of sports in the state.

Sigriwal said events like this cricket tournament give an opportunity to players to showcase their skills. He also appreciated the efforts of the CAB in hosting such a tournament where players not only from the state but from Jharkhand, Bengal and Orissa too had taken part.

The CAB, as part of Bihar centenary year celebrations, had organised the seven-day cricketing extravaganza, which started on May 21. The state teams that took part in the tournament were once a part of united Bengal province before 1912. Prior to 1912, Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa were part of the United Bengal province during the British rule.

Sigriwal, while congratulating the Bihar players, said: “My doors are always open for you and whenever players or sports enthusiasts face any problem they can approach me directly.”

Aditya Verma, the CAB secretary, said: “The idea behind organising the event was to give cricketers from Bihar a platform as the state has no official cricket body to represent the budding cricketers.”

Prizes were also distributed for the Bihar Gaurav Cup tournament, which concluded on May 24. In the Bihar Gaurav Cup tournament, Bihar came out trumps defeating Bengal by six wickets.

Electing to bat first, the Bengal team was all out scoring just 44 runs. They could not play out their allotted 30 overs.

Bihar chased down the target easily losing four wickets in 10 overs.

The Bihar Gaurav Cup tournament and MP Verma tournament began on May 21 and May 24, respectively. The tournaments were formally inaugurated by art, culture and youth affairs minister Sukhda Pandey on May 21.