For the second year in a row Wadia Ghandy won the 2011 Mumbai ELP Masters Cricket Cup last weekend, besting Nishith Desai Associates (NDA) in the finals after Economic Laws Practice (ELP) was foiled by the flip of a coin in the semi-finals.

NDA had laid down 45-odd runs in the six over-six ball innings, which Wadia Ghandy managed to chase within the third over to claim the trophy.

Wadia Ghandy’s Kunal Dwarkadas was crowned man of the tournament, while ELP’s Kirat Damani won the accolades of the tournament’s best batsman and ELP’s Vishal Kulkarni won the best bowler.

ELP had lost to NDA in a semi-final of five five-ball overs where in the end all came down to the toss of a coin. Both teams were tied at 67 runs after five overs so a bowl-out of six balls each was played after which the teams were still tied. After three further balls, both teams were still tied so the tournament director had to take an executive decision late on Sunday evening and chose to let luck decide the finalist.

A coin was tossed for the win, with the first throw apparently going to ELP but having been declared invalid by the tournament director because it touched his foot. In the second toss, NDA won.

In the second semi-final Wadia Ghandy trounced DSK Legal successfully chasing 68 runs, ensuring Wadia’s ultimate win.

In the earlier evening match between senior counsels and law firm lawyers, the senior counsel proved surprisingly nimble and skilful, leaving the non-arguing lawyers no chance of winning.

Last year ELP lost to Wadia Ghandy in the finals.

ELP associate partner Sanjay Notani, who helped organise the tournament, said that ELP’s loss of the coin toss against NDA was unfortunate but added: “Whatever the tournament director decides we need to respect. Next year we’ll try to put rules in place [for such an eventuality] so there is not too much stress on the tournament director.”

He noted that it was a great three-day event attended by 16 law firms and would definitely be held again next year.