Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120156421600.htm

Sport - Cricket

Rohan gives Kerala the lead

Principal Correspondent

PALAKKAD: Rohan Prem struck a heroic unbeaten 124 to take Kerala out of the woods on a dramatic second day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group ‘A’ match against Jammu & Kashmir at the Fort Maidan here on Sunday.

Rohan’s 123-run partnership for the last wicket with Tinu Yohannan also gave the host a substantial first innings lead of 115.

Batting a second time, the visiting side was 26 for one at stumps. K. Anil Kumar’s strike with the last ball of the first over of Jammu’s second innings made the day even better for Kerala.

The host, however, would have been in trouble but for the second hundred of the season by Rohan. He came in at 78 for three, after Kerala resumed at 72 for two, and saw wickets tumbling at regular intervals on the other side.

The revival

When the ninth wicket fell at 176, his team was on the brink of conceding the lead. However, Tinu, fresh from his five-wicket haul on Saturday, gave him excellent company. The tall medium-pacer was, in fact, the only Kerala batsman besides Rohan to touch 30.

The scores: Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: 184.

Kerala — 1st innings: Sambasiva Sarma lbw b Beigh 4, Raiphy Vincent Gomez c Ian b Beigh 23, Robert Fernandez c Ganai b Beigh 29, Sreekumar Nair lbw b Samir Ali 19, Rohan Prem (not out) 124, K.J. Rakesh lbw b Khajuria 0, Vinan G. Nair c Samir Ali b Mahajan 1, P. Prashanth c Joglekar b Nizam 21, Sony K. Cheruvathur lbw b Nizam 9, K. Anil Kumar lbw b Nizam 2, Tinu Yohannan lbw b Nizam 32; Extras (b-19, lb-5, nb-9, w-2): 35; Total (in 97.5 overs): 299.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-35, 3-78, 4-88, 5-104, 6-113, 7-143, 8-162, 9-176.

Jammu & Kashmir bowling: Beigh 28-8-94-3, Samir Ali 22-4-68-1, Mahajan 18-7-34-1, Nizam 14.5-1-47-4, Khajuria 15-3-32-1.

Jammu & Kashmir — 2nd innings: Asif Jeelani lbw b Anil Kumar 1, Parvez Ganai (batting) 5, Ian Dev Singh (batting) 17; Extras (b-1, nb-2): 3; Total (for one wkt. in 10 overs): 26.

Fall of wicket: 1-3.

Kerala bowling: Yohannan 3-2-3-0, Anil Kumar 4-2-9-1, Sony 2-0-9-0, Prashanth 1-0-4-0.