The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Niraj, Mukund rescue Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 17, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Niraj, Mukund rescue Gujarat

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, NOV. 16. Southpaw Niraj Patel and skipper Mukund Parmar helped Gujarat score 286 for seven against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group `A' match that commenced at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday.

Gujarat, after electing to bat, suffered two early blows but Niraj Patel (54), Mukund Parmar (73) and an unfinished 62-run eighth-wicket partnership between Timil Patel and Siddarth Trivedi, ensured a respectable score for the visitor at the draw of stumps.

Gujarat stumbled in the beginning as Akash Christian chased a Vinay Kumar delivery, while Nilesh Modi perished as he played back to Stuart Binny and had his pads ruffled.

At 60 for two, Gujarat was indeed in a state of worry and Karnataka seemed set to control the morning session. However, Niraj Patel had other ideas and it was evident in the manner in which he greeted Sunil Joshi's advent at the bowling crease.

Joshi's first delivery was despatched with impunity past the mid-wicket ropes and then Niraj punched Ganesh straight down the ground for four.

Niraj, along with skipper Mukund, kept finding the gaps and the host lost the initiative in the hour leading into lunch.

Niraj (54, 70b, 9 x 4) employed the pull and sweep to good effect and with the bowlers erring in their length, Mukund (73, 150b, 12 x 4) too joined the act with some deft flicks and cuts.

Niraj, however, paid the price for an error in judgement as he shouldered arms to Vinay Kumar and watched the ball nip back and knock the stumps.

Gujarat scored 117 for three at lunch, and after the break suffered another slump as Parthiv Patel slashed hard and snicked Ganesh, who also did an encore by trapping Kirat Damani to leave the visitor struggling at 139 for five.

Later, Mukund, along with Bhavik Thakkar, did some good job with a 54-run sixth-wicket partnership. Parmar used his feet against spinners Joshi and Udit Patel and also drove Ganesh to distraction.

Stuart Binny, trudging out with a side-strain, and Udit Patel's failure to keep it tight at one end, also left host captain Arun Kumar with very few options.

Ganesh, despite his slew of no balls, struck again, scalping Thakkar, while Parmar flashed at Vinay Kumar to leave Thilak Naidu ecstatic. It proved to be the last moment of delight for the host as Trivedi and Timil Patel soldiered on till the close.

The scores: Gujarat — Ist innings: Nilesh Modi lbw Stuart Binny 17, Akash Christian c Thilak Naidu b R. Vinay Kumar 6, Niraj Patel b Vinay Kumar 54, Mukund Parmar c Thilak Naidu b Vinay Kumar 73, Parthiv Patel c Vijay Bharadwaj b Dodda Ganesh 16, Kirat Damani lbw Dodda Ganesh 2, Bhavik Thakkar lbw Dodda Ganesh 23, Timil Patel (batting) 35, Siddarth Trivedi (batting) 39, Extras (lb-1, nb-17, w-3) 21. Total (for seven in 90 overs) 286.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-60, 3-95, 4-134, 5-139, 6-193, 7-224.

Karnataka bowling: Dodda Ganesh 21-2-82-3, Vinay Kumar 20-4-61-3, Sunil Joshi 30-11-67-0, Stuart Binny 3-1-15-1, Udit Patel 16-0-60-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport