Mumbai champs by default as Aussies pull out of final

Chennai, Aug 31 (UNI) Mumbai XI were today declared winners of the All India Buchi Babu cricket tournament, after their opponents in the final Australian Institute of Sports XI pulled out due to urgent domestic commitments, Tamil Nadu Cricket Assocition (TNCA) Secretary Kasi Viswanathan said.

The three-day final was scheduled to be played at the M A Chidambaram stadium here from tomorrow.

The winner's purse and the trophy were awarded to Mumbai.

The runners-up prize money was not given to the Aussies as they have concern a walk over.

Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Secretary K S Viswanathan in a statement here today said that ''the Australian team have expressed their inability to take further part in the tournament reportedly due to domestic commitments. The tournament committee decided to award the winner's trophy to the other finalist Mumbai''.

The Aussies, making their debut in the tournament, ha dwon all their-three- league matches and entered the semi-finals, in which they defeated Combined Districts XI by 166 runs yesterday and set up a title clash with Mumbai.

UNI