Tamil Nadu loses quick wickets

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE, APRIL 30. A late-order revival put Kerala back on track while Tamil Nadu got mired in a pensive mood in the KSCA Coca-Cola South Zone under-25 tournament final at the Palace grounds here on Sunday

At the second day's close, Tamil Nadu scored 122 for three in 44 overs in reply to Kerala's 323.

Earlier, C. M. Shyam (44, 156b, 5x4) and Ranjith Menon (41, 74b, 6 x 4) lured hope into the Kerala camp with their doughty 77-run seventh-wicket partnership.

The Kerala citadel did suffer a breach when Ganesh Kumar rapped Ranjith's pads. Yet a lunch score of 310 for seven promised Kerala a perfect Sunday outing.

Post-lunch, Tamil Nadu grabbed the remaining three wickets and Kerala paused at 323. All Tamil Nadu needed to keep its fortune on course was a good start but that proved elusive as seamers P. Manoj and Ranjith Menon strived hard to make up for Tinnu Yohannan's absence.

A circumspect opener Ravindran John saw his stumps do a cartwheel as Manoj slipped one through the gate. The casualty list had another addition when Lakshmi Kumar dallied with a Ranjith Menon delivery coursing past his legs and the score gaped at 25 for two.

Alarm bells were soon muffled with opener Noorul Riaz (31, 72b, 4 x 4) and N. Lokesh eking out a 61-run third-wicket partnership.

The disaster siren almost threatened to wail when Lokesh snicked Ranjith Menon but the close-in cordon failed to latch on and the innings began its slow trudge. Lokesh played straight while Noorul Riaz was happy with his singles.

The duo were busy erasing the damage done by early wickets when Kerala skipper Ajay Kudua beseeched fortune to smile on him and his team.

Left-arm spinner Sree Kumar Nair's teaser forced an early drive from Riaz. The red cherry was sailing to the cover fence when Ajay Kudua, positioned at short covers, dived to his right and put a full-stop on the ball's trajectory.

Kudua, who suffered the ignominy of a first-ball blob in the Kerala first innings, was making amends and Riaz paid the price. Lokesh (50 n.o., 113b, 7 x 4) soldiered on and despite some mix- ups with Subash Raj (20 n.o.), helped drag the total past the hundred mark.

In the day's last over, Subash Raj stood on his toes and guided Manoj past point for a well-etched four. Tamil Nadu would need more shots like that and good partnerships if it has to bag honours in a match which will be decided in the first- innings shootout.

The scores:

Kerala 323 in 135.2 overs (Varun Girilal 64, C.M. Deepak 48, Sree Kumar Nair 44, C.M. Shyam 44, Ranjith Menon 41, Ganesh Kumar three for 68) vs Tamil Nadu 122 for three in 44 overs (N. Lokesh 50 n.o., Noorul Riaz 31).

Kerala's Manoj slips one past Tamil Nadu opener Ravindran John and send stumps cartwheeling in the KSCA Coca-Cola South Zone Under-25 tournament final at Bangalore on Sunday.

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Section  : Sport
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