Date:20/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/20/stories/2008112056322000.htm

Sport - Cricket

Easy for Karnataka

Mysore: Karnataka scripted its first victory this season, when it thumped Andhra by 202 runs on the final day in the Group ‘B’ Super League Ranji Trophy match here on Wednesday.

Robin Uthappa’s first win as skipper came half-an-hour before lunch when left-arm spinner Appanna removed P. Vijay Kumar, stumped by Thilak Naidu who had a good match with nine victims behind the stumps. Andhra folded up for 117 runs in 49.3 overs against the guiles of Karnataka’s bowlers who operated in tandem and with purpose.

Resuming at 28 for four, Andhra lost an impatient-looking skipper Y. Gnaneswara Rao (5) in the third over of the day, when Uthappa leapt to his left to complete a superb one handed catch.

The experienced Sunil Joshi, replacing medium-pacer Aiyappa, struck with third delivery. He sent back Satyakumar Verma with a ball that spun sharply to take the edge to Naidu.

Appanna scalps four

The seventh wicket pair of A.G. Pradeep and southpaw M. Suresh offered stiff resistance by adding 48-runs before Appanna had the latter caught Naidu. The count-down had begun for Andhra.

Appanna continued his good work by removing Pradeep (41), castled debutant Sarat Babu and dismissed Vijay Kumar to return figures of four for 23.

Medium-pacer P. Vinay Kumar were the other wicket-takers for Karnataka.

Karnataka, which secured five points for the win, goes into its next game against Baroda to be played at Bangalore with its morale on a high.

The scores:

Karnataka — 1st innings: 366.

Andhra — 1st innings: 218.

Karnataka — 2nd innings: 171.

Andhra — 2nd innings: H. Watekar c Naidu b Vinay Kumar 9, P. Reddy c Naidu b Aiyappa 8, V. Manoj Sai c Naidu b Vinay Kumar 0, B. Sumanth lbw Joshi 4, Y. Gnaneswara Rao c Uthappa b Vinay Kumar 5, S.K. Verma c Naidu b Joshi 14, A.G. Pradeep b Appanna 41, M. Suresh c Naidu b Appanna 18, D. Kalyan Krishna (not out) 6, G. Sarat Babu b Appanna 8, P. Vijay Kumar st. Naidu b Appanna 0; Extras (lb-2, nb-1,wb-1) 4; Total (in 49.3 overs) 117.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-12, 3-19, 4-23, 5-31, 6-49, 7-97, 8-102, 9-117.

Karnataka bowling: Vinay Kumar 14-4-27-3, Aiyappa 13-7-17-1, Joshi 16-2-47-2, Appanna 6.3-2-24-4. — Our Correspondent