KSCA race ahead of Rajasthan

Binnys ton and Bharaths fifty propel home side

Having secured a slender five-run lead overnight, KSCA needed to extend it substantially, and the hosts did the job to perfection. Resuming at 285 for four, KSCA rode on Binny’s hundred (105, 149b, 8x4, 6x6), and fifties by Bharath (94 n.o, 119b, 10x4, 2x6) and KC Avinash (63, 189b, 6x4)  to reach 473 for an overall lead of 193.

KSCA further strengthened their grip, grabbing three Rajasthan wickets for 89 before the day’s proceedings were called off at 4.40 pm due to rain. Binny, overnight 89, wasted little time in reaching the three-figure mark, but could not carry on for much longer.

The hard-hitting batsman tried to deposit left-arm pacer Aniket Choudhary over square-leg, but only managed a simple catch to Pranay Sharma. The return of Binny might have prompted Rajasthan to heave a sigh of relief, but more torture was in store for them.

KSCA had some more work to do after Binny’s fall to motor away further from Rajasthan. The sixth-wicket alliance between Bharath and Avinash produced 82 runs, swelling KSCA’s lead. It was a  partnership based on entirely different ethos. Bharath was the enforcer and Avinash the calming presence as the duo punished the Rajasthan attack during their entertaining alliance.

Offie Vaibhav Deshpande ended the blossoming alliance, dismissing Avinash, and KSCA lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter. But Rajasthan could not prevent them from garnering a sizeable lead, and the visitors, who were required to wipe out a massive deficit, appeared a burdened lot in their second innings.

With a big lead in hand, KSCA’s four-pronged pace attack -- A Mithun, SL Akshay, Bharath and Binny -- came hard at the Rajasthan batsmen. Mithun inflicted the first blow, removing Ankit Lamba, who feathered one to KB Pawan at first slip.

The hundred seemed to have added a new spring to Binny’s steps, and the right-arm medium-pacer snared opener Pranay and one-down Manish Sharma to peg Rajasthan back. Pranay, who made a composed 38, snicked him to Pawan at first slip, while Manish, who looked solid while making 31, put stumper Avinash in business with another edge.

Brief scores: At Chinnaswamy Stadium: Rajasthan CA: 280 all out in 88.5 overs and 89/3 in 25 overs (Pranay Sharma 38, Manish Sharma 31; Stuart Binny 2-7) vs KSCA XI: 473 all out in 133.3 overs (Robin Uthappa 35, KB Pawan 89, Ganesh Satish 39, Stuart Binny 105, KC Avinash 63, BN Bharath 94 n.o.; Ankit Choudhary 4-104).
At RSI grounds: Saurashtra CA: 218 all out in 66 overs and 310/2 in 73 overs (Bhushan Chauhan 118 n.o., Shelden Jackson 135) vs KSCA Colts: 187 all out in 81 overs. At PES, Mandya: KSCA President’s XI: 402 all out in 156.2 overs (Bharath Chipli 42, KL Rahul 56, Kunal Kapoor 141, Anirudha Joshi 46; Gurinder Singh 5-109, Karan Goel 2-64) vs Punjab CA: 119/1 in 40 overs (Sarul Kumar 49, Karan Goel 33 n.o., Uday Kaul 34 n.o.).
At Gangotri Glades, Mysore: Baroda CA: 239 all out in 72.5 overs (Jai Kishan Kolsawala 31, Rakesh Solanki 77, Swapnil Singh 58, Jyot Chhaya 26; Anup Fulpar 2-32, Gaurav Upadhaya 2-38, Sumit Ruikar 4-43) vs Vidarbha CA: 194/4 in 79 overs (Akshya Kolar 57, Gaurav Upadhaya 73 n.o., Ravi Jangid 27 n.o.; Swapnil Singh 2/50).