Yuvraj powers Punjab into Twenty20 final

MUMBAI: Powered by an aggressive half-century by Yuvraj Singh, Punjab registered an emphatic 71-run win over Orissa to enter the finals of the All-India Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Replying to an imposing Punjab score of 201 for 5, the bottom-placed Orissa succumbed to pressure and could manage just 130 for 7 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.

Looking extremely comfortable on a true surface, Yuvraj belted eight boundaries and four sixes in his 39-ball knock of 70 to help Punjab record the highest total so far in the tournament.

Giving Yuvraj fine support was another southpaw Dinesh Mongia (43), with the duo adding 91 runs in just 61 balls for the third wicket.

Middle-order bastman Bipul Sharma with an unbeaten 26 off just 11 balls, played his part in helping Punjab cross the 200-run mark.

With Punjab gaining their third victory in group A,  the last match between Railways and Karnataka to be played later in the day remains of just academic interest.

Brief scores: Punjab 201 for 5 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Singh 70, Dinesh Mongia 43, Bipul Sharma 26 no) beat Orissa 130 for 7 in 20 overs (P Jaychandra 39, Bikash Pati 30, Amit Uniyal 3 for 22).