Ranji Trophy: Services thrash Maharashtra by an innings

Medium-pacers Diwesh Pathania and Sachidanand Pandey picked up five wickets each to help Services dismiss Maharashtra for 147 in their second innings and register an emphatic win by an innings and 94 runs in a Ranji Trophy Group C match here on Sunday.

Resuming at the overnight score of 93 for 5 on the third day of the four-day match, the visiting team lost Naushad S Shaikh (41) for the addition of just one run when Pandey (5/56) induced an edge which was accepted by wicketkeeper Nakul Verma.

Opener Murtaza Trunkwala, who had retired hurt on Saturday, returned to the crease but didn't last long, falling to Pathania (5/49) for 9 after hitting two boundaries.

Vishant More, who was batting on 33 overnight, added only three runs to his score but dug in for 32 deliveries before being bowled by Pandey.

There was brief resistance from the lower-order as Maharashtra capitulated for 147 in 48.1 overs. No.11 batsman Manoj Ingale (14 not out, 5 balls) helped himself to two fours and a six before Pathania finished things off with the wicket of Mukesh Choudhary (14).

Services picked up its second win in the group and added seven points to their kitty.

Services made 285 in their first innings after bundling out Maharashtra for 44 and then reduced the visitors to 93 for 5 in the second innings at stumps on day two on Saturday.

Brief scores: Maharashtra 44 all out in 30.2 overs (Poonam Subhash Poonia 5/11, Sachidanand Pandey 3/18) and 147 all out in 48.1 overs (Naushad Shaikh 40; Diwesh Pathania 5/49, Sachidanand Pandey 5/56) lost to Services 285 all out in 95.2 overs (Ravi Chauhan 65, Arjun Sharma 47, Vikas Hathwala 47, Rajat Paliwal 42; Manoj Ingale 5/73, Anupam Sanklecha 2/78) by an innings and 94 runs. Services: 7 points, Maharashtra: 0.