Date:22/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/22/stories/2008122256761800.htm

Sport - Cricket

Comfortable victory for Mumbai

MUMBAI: Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane guided Mumbai to a comfortable victory over Punjab in the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy Elite League Group ‘A’ tie on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 149 after the visitor was bowled out for 382 on the fourth morning, the former India opener and prolific Rahane feasted on the attack to finish the job around lunchtime.

Earlier, Uday Kaul had remained unbeaten on 136 as Mumbai ended Punjab’s resistance early on the fourth morning at the Brabourne Stadium, the 19-run addition to the team total coming off the left-hander’s bat.

Mumbai took its tally to 31 and top the Group ‘A’ at the end of seven games. The scores:

Punjab — 1st innings: 202

Mumbai — 1st innings: 436

Punjab — 2nd innings: S. Sohal b Verma 51, K. Goel lbw b Verma 26, R.I. Singh c Samant b Powar 33, P. Dharmani c Nayar b Powar 34, U. Kaul (not out) 136, A. Kakkar c Samant b Malvi 58, C. Madan b Sharma 32, G. Singh c Chavan b Powar 1, A. Singh c Rahane b Chavan 0, S. Ladda (run out) 0, V. Khanna c Samant b Malvi 0. Extras (b-1, lb-7, nb-3) 11. Total (in 97 overs) 382.

Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-84, 3-124, 4-169, 5-276, 6-331, 7-340, 8-341, 9-371

Mumbai bowling: R. Powar 32-2-154-3, A. Chavan 21-4-59-1, U. Malvi 15-2-48-2, R. Shaikh 9-1-53-0, R. Verma 13-4-42-2, A. Nayar 6-1-17-0, R. Sharma 1-0-1-1.

Mumbai — 2nd innings: V. Samant lbw b A. Singh 13, W. Jaffer (not out) 52, A. Rahane (not out) 82. Extras (b-3, lb-1) 4. Total (for one wkt. in 27.1 overs) 151.

Fall of wickets: 1-21

Punjab bowling: G. Singh 6-2-20-0, A. Singh 6-2-24-1, V. Khanna 7-0-37-0, S. Ladda 5-0-29-0, A. Kakkar 3.1-0-37-0. — Special Correspondent