The Hindu : North gains four points

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

North gains four points

By Our Special Correspondent

GURGAON, FEB. 24. Three quick blows by Narendra Hirwani left North Zone huffing and puffing before completing a five-wicket victory over Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy league match at the Devi Lal Stadium here this afternoon.

Needing 117 runs to win, North started the final day at two without loss and raced away to 51 with openers Akash Chopra (43, 4x4) and Gautam Gambhir (24, 3x4) taking the control. But the introduction of spinners, Murali Kartik and Hirwani, saw North stumble to 82 for four and soon after lunch, slip to 97 for five. Thereafter, Haryana duo of Ajay Ratra and Joginder Sharma took North home.

The victory, worth four points, has made North the favourite to qualify for the final from the three-team group. North now faces West Zone in its last league match beginning at Dharamshala on February 27.

Today morning, Central's captain Gagan Khoda relied on his medium pacers to provide the much-needed breakthrough. Despite the fact that Hirwani had taken four wickets in the first innings, Khoda pressed him into service only when North was cruising at 60 for one. Worse, Khoda did not let off-spinner Kulamani Parida bowl at all.

Hirwani removed Yuvraj Singh and bowled Dinesh Mongia after tempting him to sweep. A little later, the leg-spinner claimed the wicket of Mithun Manhas.

It was the presence of Chopra that did not let the pressure get to North. Chopra, who earlier lost the company of Gambhir castled by Kartik, fell to a bat-and-pad catch off the left-arm spinner after spending 165 minutes and facing 140 deliveries. At this stage, North still needed 20 runs to win. It was then left to the two Haryana players, Ratra and Joginder, to squash Central's hopes of a sensational victory. Joginder and Ratra hit a boundary off Hirwani to provide the finishing touches in the final over of the day.

The scores:

Central Zone — 1st innings: 154

North Zone — 1st innings: 249

Central Zone — 2nd innings: 211

North Zone — 2nd innings: Akash Chopra c Saxena b Kartik 43, Gautam Gambhir b Kartik 24, Yuvraj Singh b Hirwani 5, Dinesh Mongia b Hirwani 2, Mithun Manhas b Hirwani 9, Ajay Ratra (not out) 12, Joginder Sharma (not out) 11, Extras (b-3, lb-3, nb-6) 12. Total (for five wickets) 118.

Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-63, 3-66, 4-82, 5-97.

Central Zone bowling: J. P. Yadav 13-5-16-0, Sanjay Bangar 7-1-20-0, Sanjay Pandey 4-0-24-0, Murali Kartik 10-2-21-2, Narendra Hirwani 15.5-4-31-3.

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