Date:14/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/14/stories/2008121455391600.htm

Sport - Cricket

Quadri is Hyderabad’s hero

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The diminutive Ahmed Quadri turned out to be the unexpected hero of the second day for Hyderabad as it seized the initiative first by scoring 335 and then restricting Punjab to 150 for six at close in the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group ‘A’ match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) here on Saturday.

Growing in confidence with each match, the 26-year-old Quadri came up with a splendid knock (80, 170min, 127b, 9x4, 1x6) farming the strike impressively batting with the tail.

In great form

Quadri, who has hit a century and a half-century this season, played a crucial innings. He scored 62 of his runs today and in style too.

Quadri rocked back onto the backfoot to pull fast bowler Amanpreet Singh to the fence and then lofted leg-spinner Sarabjit Singh over long-on for a huge six.

Thanks to his knock, Hyderabad has posted what could turn out to be a match-winning total.

The scores:

Hyderabad — 1st innings: T. Suman c R. Singh b Sarabjit 131, D.B. Ravi Teja c Kaul b Amanpreet 4, S. Anoop Pai lbw b Sarabjit 26, N. Arjun Yadav c R. Singh b Sarabjit 0, A. Shinde (run out) 57, A. Kumar lbw b M. Gony 0, A. Quadri c R. Singh b M. Gony 80, M.P. Arjun c R. Singh b Sarabjit 1, S.M. Shoaib b Amanpreet 15, A. Yadav c Kaul b M. Gony 1, Shiv Shanker (not out) 7; Extras (lb-8, nb-5): 13. Total (in 112.3 overs): 335.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-77, 3-86, 4-220, 5-221, 6-240, 7-246, 8-273, 9-284, 10-335.

Punjab bowling: Gony 29.3-7-91-3, Amanpreet 27-5-99-2, Varun 20-6-63-0, Sarabjit Singh 33-10-72-4, Anukar 3-1-2-0.

Punjab — 1st innings: S. Sohal c A. Kumar b M.P. Arjun 24, K. Goel c & b Ashwin Yadav 44, R.I. Singh c A. Kumar b Shiv Shankar 22, P. Dharmani lbw Ashwin Yadav 1, Uday Kaul (batting) 26, A. Kakkar lbw b Shiv Shanker 27, V. Khanna c Shinde b A. Quadri 0, M. Siddana (batting) 1; Extras (lb-3, nb-2): 5. Total (for six wickets in 65 overs): 150.

Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-78, 3-80, 4-101, 5-147, 6-148.

Hyderabad bowling: Shoaib 12-2-27-0, Arjun 13-3-25-1, Shiv Shanker 17-6-31-2, Ashwin 11-3-41-2, Shinde 7-1-10-0, Ravi Teja 1-0-2-0, Quadri 4-0-11-1.