Sport - Cricket

Karnataka sitting pretty

Bangalore: A stutter at the top, a middle-order revival and a late-order collapse left Western Australia well short of host Karnataka's first innings score of 336 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday. Western Australia scored 254 for eight when skipper Justin Langer pressed the declaration instead of letting the tail wag to leave the host ahead by 82-runs. At close, Karnataka scored 71 for two in its second innings and has an overall lead of 153 runs.

Southpaw Marcus North (101) and Adam Voges (75 not out) shone for the visitor. Karnataka's wily left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi snared four victims.

The start clanged with alarm bells as Western Australia lost its top-three — Clint Herson, Scott Meuleman and Shaun Marsh — with just 53 on the board. Herson and Marsh were trapped by Akhil and Joshi while Meuleman dragged a Vinay Kumar delivery on to his stumps.

The stage was set for the left-right combine of North and Voges. And the duo effectively salvaged the innings with a 151-run fourth-wicket partnership that frustrated the Karnataka bowlers. North also enjoyed three reprieves on 64, 87 and 95 with Devraj Patil grassing an edge and muffing up stumping chances.

The scores: Karnataka 336 for eight in 90 overs and 71 for two in 19 overs vs. Western Australia 254 for eight decl. in 69 overs (Marcus North 101, Adam Voges 75 n.o., Sunil Joshi four for 44). — Principal Correspondent

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