Vizianagaram : Medium-pacer Bandaru Ayyappa wreaked havoc with the ball to hand Andhra a vital seven runs first innings lead and ensure three crucial points for his side after their opening Group B Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai ended in a draw here on Sunday. In reply to Andhra’s 244, Mumbai were bowled out for 237 in 91.5 overs in their first innings.
Ayyappa (6/71) turned out to be the tormentor-in-chief for Andhra as he decimated Mumbai’s lower-middle order with four wickets, including the all-important wicket of Siddhesh Lad (86), to add to his Saturday’s tally of two scalps. Resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 158 for five, Mumbai’s lower middle-order crumbled like of a pack of cards in front of a fiery spell from Ayyappa. Mumbai could add just 79 runs to their overnight score before being bundled out to hand Andhra the edge. While Andhra took away three points, Mumbai had to be contend with one point.
Brief Scores: Andhra: 244 & 176 for three in 65 overs (Prasanth Kumar 59, Mohammad Kaif 49 not out, K S Bharath 43; Vishal Dabholkar 2/26). Mumbai 1st innings: 237 all out in 91.5 overs (Siddhesh Lad 86; Bandaru Ayyappa 6/71).
Ton-up Karthick: K B Arun Karthick struck a vital unbeaten 115 to help Assam garner three crucial points against defending champions Karnataka after their Group A Ranji Trophy match ended in a tame draw in Guwahati on Sunday. Chasing a huge 388 for an outright win, Assam were 30 for one in their second innings on Saturday. The hosts on Sunday rode on former Tamil Nadu cricketer Arun Karthick’s patient century to eke out a draw and ensure three points for the side by virtue of first innings lead over the title holders.
Brief Scores: Karnataka: 187 & 394 for eight decl. (Ravikumar Samarth 131, Mayank Agarwal 47; Swarupam Purkayastha 3/78). Assam: 194 & 259 for five in 102 overs (K B Arun Karthick 115 not out, Gokul Sharma 55; R Vinay Kumar 2/41).
Varun grab 8 scalps: Left-arm spinner Varun Khanna registered his best first-class bowling figures to guide Punjab to an emphatic innings victory over Railways in their opening Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match in Mohali on Sunday . Following on, Railways’ second innings folded for 282 runs in 68 overs with Varun (8/97) scalping as many as eight wickets of the visitors. Being enforced follow-on, Railways ended at 125 for five last evening with 283 runs still needed to save the innings defeat.
But Railways failed to make Punjab bat again as they fell one run short with Varun, who took all five wickets in the visitors’ second innings on Saturday, doing bulk of the damage.
Maharashtra earn 3 points: Strokeful centuries from Ankit Bawne and Chiragh Khurana helped Maharashtra post a mammoth 570 for six at close of the fourth and final day’s play to earn three points on the basis of first innings lead in the drawn Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match against Haryana in Pune on Sunday. Responding to Haryana’s 335 in the first innings, the Rohit Motwani-led Maharashtra saw a mammoth 246-run sixth-wicket partnership between Bawne (172) and Khurana (136 not out) to enable a 235-run lead at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
Brief Scores: Haryana 1st innings: 335 all out. Maharashtra 1st innings: 570/6 in 150 overs (Ankit Bawne 172, Chiragh Khurana 136 not out; Ashish Hooda 2-75, Jayant Yadav 2-175).
Rain halts Goa match: Goa gained three points by virtue of their first-innings lead as the Ranji Trophy cricket match against Hyderabad ended in a draw after the umpires called off play due to rain in Porvorim on Sunday.
The field umpires called off play after tea on the final day of the Group C match, at GCA ground.
Resuming at overnight 349/5, Goa made 425/7 when the heavens opened up. Rahul Keni(17) and Shadab Jakati (0) were the batsman at the crease.
Goa had taken a 100-run first innings lead. Hyderabad earned a point from the drawn match. The highlight was a fine century by Sagun Kamat who scored 109. Kamat struck fours and a six while facing 286 balls.
