Date:29/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/29/stories/2008122955971600.htm

Sport - Cricket

Bengal gains marginal advantage

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Balaji helps Tamil Nadu score 306 in its first innings

— Photo: Sampath Kumar

CRUCIAL STRIKE: Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha celebrates after stumping Tamil Nadu’s C. Ganapathy.

Bangalore: Tamil Nadu battled hard though Bengal had a marginal advantage in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

At close on the third day, Bengal was 134 for four in its second innings and has an overall lead of 173 after L. Balaji’s 47 (79b, 5x4, 2x6) helped Tamil Nadu score 306 in its first innings.

Resuming at 188 for five, Tamil Nadu lost R. Ashwin, who failed to beat Ritam Kundu’s throw. Suresh Kumar (75, 130b, 11x4, 1x6) and C. Ganapathy (29) then shared a 64-run seventh-wicket partnership before three wickets fell in succession.

Suresh Kumar succumbed to Manoj Tiwary though there were doubts about whether the ‘snick’ had ballooned off the pad. Immediately, Ganapathy got stumped and C. Suresh became Tamil Nadu’s third run-out victim.

At 258 for nine, Balaji struck the loose deliveries and shielded Palani Amarnath while Bengal skipper L.R. Shukla claimed the new ball but set defensive fields as the last-wicket pair put on 48 runs. However in the post-lunch session, Balaji fell with a hoick and Bengal grabbed a 39-run lead.

Bad start

The Bengal second innings suffered a false start as regular openers Rohan Banerjee and Arindam Das were indisposed and Ganapathy startled Avik Chowdhury with a bouncer but Saha and Tiwary (42) slammed sixes off R. Ashwin before Tamil Nadu briefly came back. Balaji drew a snick from Saha while Ashwin scalped Tiwary and Dibyendu Chakrabarty.

At close, Shukla’s unbeaten 43 and Palani Amarnath’s fumble while attempting to catch Kundu, lent hope to Bengal though the script might change if the Tamil Nadu bowlers can trigger a collapse on Monday morning.

The scores:

Bengal – 1st innings: 345

Tamil Nadu – 1st innings: A. Mukund (run out) 47, M. Vijay c Tiwary b Bose 1, S. Badrinath lbw b Bose 18, D. Karthik c Tiwary b Kundu 46, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan c Saha b Sarkar 4, S. Suresh Kumar c R. Banerjee b Tiwary 75, R. Ashwin (run out) 29, C. Ganapathy st. Saha b Kundu 24, L. Balaji c Shukla b Dinda 47, C. Suresh (run out) 0, P. Amarnath (not out) 1. Extras (b-5, lb-7, nb-1, w-1): 14. Total (in 98.5 overs): 306.

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-48, 3-82, 4-87, 5-147, 6-194, 7-258, 8-258, 9-258.

Bengal bowling: Bose 25-9-65-2, Dinda 24.5-4-76-1, Sarkar 20-6-60-1, Shukla 6-2-11-0, Kundu 14-1-54-2, Chowdhury 2-1-1-0, Tiwary 7-1-27-1.

Bengal – 2nd innings: W. Saha c Vijay b Balaji 26, A. Chowdhury c Badrinath b Ganapathy 0, M. Tiwary c Suresh Kumar b Ashwin 42, L.R. Shukla (batting) 43, D. Chakrabarty lbw b Ashwin 0, R. Kundu (batting) 13. Extras (b-4, lb-5, nb-1): 10. Total (for four wkts., in 46 overs): 134.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-48, 3-87, 4-95.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Balaji 12-6-17-1, Ganapathy 7-2-13-1, P. Amarnath 7-0-22-0, R. Ashwin 18-1-69-2, C. Suresh 2-1-4-0.