JOIN USKarnataka outfits get off to great start
While the senior side, the KSCA XI, got the better of Kerala Cricket Association by 32 runs, it was the other two sides that caught the eye. The KSCA Colts overpowered Hyderabad Cricket Association by 82 runs, while the KSCA President’s XI crushed Gujarat Cricket Association by five wickets in the most emphatic of the three host performances.
At the Chinnaswamy stadium, the President’s XI made light of having to score 307 for victory, coasting to 310 for five in 90 overs and thus winning with an impressive ten overs in the bank. Overnight four without loss, the President’s XI owed it to the right-handed duo of Devraj Patil and Stuart Binny, whose century stand for the fifth wicket steadied a rocking boat.
Off-spinner Jayesh Makla struck reasonably early in the run chase by picking up two wickets, and when opener Karun Nair was run out following a misunderstanding with Sunil Raju, who himself fell not too long afterwards, the President’s XI had slipped to 106 for four, and faced a long haul.
That’s when the slightly built Patil and the powerful Binny got together. Strokes flowed from their willows as the pair added 113, Patil benefiting from a dropped chance at gully when 62 to move along to 82 (137, 8x4, 2x6) before falling a little before tea.
Binny, seeking to make his way back into the State team, did his cause no harm at all with an excellent essay, striking the ball cleanly and long. With an equally attack-minded Amit Verma for company, Binny lay into Gujarat’s thin bowling resources after tea to finish unbeaten on 92 (125b, 9x4, 3x6) when victory arrived. Verma, dropped at slip on 26, brought up the winning runs as he contributed 43 in the sixth-wicket stand of 91.
Skipper Sunil Joshi took four for 80 and quicker bowlers R Vinay Kumar and A Mithun scalped three each as KSCA XI bowled out Kerala, chasing 293 for victory, for 260 at the NRA grounds.
Medium-pacer SL Akshay’s five for 38 did the trick for the Colts, who dismissed Hyderabad, seeking 267, for a modest 184.
DH News Service
Brief scores: At Chinnaswamy stadium: Gujarat Cricket Association: 306 all out in 92.5 overs lt to KSCA President’s XI: 310/5 in 90 overs (Karun Nair 47, Devraj Patil 82, Stuart Binny 92 n.o., Amit Verma 43 n.o.; Jayesh Makla 2-67). KSCA President’s XI: 2 points; Gujarat CA: 1 point.
At NRA grounds: KSCA XI: 292 all out in 59.4 overs bt Kerala Cricket Association: 260 all out in 81.3 overs (KJ Rakesh 60 n.o., Rohan Prem 66, Raiphy Vincent Gomez 41; R Vinay Kumar 3-45, A Mithun 3-36, Sunil Joshi 4-80). KSCA XI: 2; Kerala CA: 0.
At IAF grounds: KSCA Colts: 266/9 in 91 overs bt Hyderabad Cricket Association: 184 all out in 65 overs (Ambati Rayudu 34, N Arjun Yadav 37, Abhinav Kumar 33; SL Akshay 5-38, Aditya B Sagar 2-33, Abrar Kazi 2-65). KSCA Colts: 2; Hyderabad CA: 0.
At RWF grounds: Railway Sports Promotion Board: 241 all out in 79.3 overs (Harshad Rawale 36, Bhavik Thakker 54, Mahesh Rawat 53, Salil Agharkar 38 n.o.; Santosh Jena 4-36, Bibhudutta Panda 4-55) bt Orissa Cricket Association: 235 all out in 77.3 overs (Natraj Behera 52, Niranjan Behera 67, Rasmi Ranjan Das 28; Omkar Salvi 4-54, Krishna Kant 2-40, Karan Sharma 2-8). RSPB: 2; Orissa CA: 0.