The Hindu : Sport : Sensible batting by Railways

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Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

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Sensible batting by Railways

By Vijay Lokapally

MOHALI, MARCH 30. Railways, propelled by some sensible batting by its top order, dented the Punjab attack to produce an intense day of cricket at the PCA Stadium as the first day of the Ranji Trophy final failed to attract a single spectator here on Wednesday. The empty galleries only reflected the poor timing of cricket's premier tournament.

Asked to bat, Railways may have finished in a far more healthy state but for a sensational catch that ended Sanjay Bangar's innings and a baffling delivery that caught Jai Prakash Yadav laden footed. Their 123-run partnership for the third wicket formed the substance of Railways' score of 287 for five with Raja Ali looking good with a determined half-century.

Punjab had its moments on a day when its bowlers toiled on a pitch that promised assistance only in the first session. Incessant appealing by Punjab marked the opening hour as Bangar and Amit Pagnis fought hard to survive. Pagnis did not waste scoring opportunities by driving with authority in front while Bangar concentrated on lasting, than dominating.

Pagnis, who hit eight fours in his 39-ball knock, was adjudged leg-before, a decision that left the batsmen disappointed. Tejinder Pal Singh's poor run with the bat continued as he nicked an innocuous delivery. The stage was ideal for Punjab to take the initiative but Bangar found a committed partner in Yadav.

Yadav loves to play his shots and did not curb his passion to prove a point to the opposition with a flurry of strokes that indicated his excellent touch. In a disciplined manner, Yadav, who hit nine fours in his 163-ball innings, controlled his desire to attack and played the ball on merit until an indecisive prod left him embarrassed as the ball crashed through his defence to give Vineet Sharma his second wicket.

Spectacular catch

Bangar showed no discomfort as he raised Railways' hopes of a big total. His shot selection was flawless and he motivated his partner to adapt to the situation. But Bangar's superb show ended to a spectacular catch at second slip by Sandeep Sawal, who flung to his right to pluck the ball. Bangar's 79 off 191 balls contained 11 fours.

Railways lost Yere Goud cheaply when he was trapped by one that skidded but the left-handed Raja Ali batted with purpose to produce a quality half-century. Raja Ali's effort stood out for his ability to grind the attack. His 108-ball stay thus far has seen Raja Ali hit six fours, each a touch of authority.

Vineet Sharma, who completed 100 wickets in his 25th Ranji match, was the pick of the bowlers along with Gagandeep Singh, who beat the bat repeatedly but failed to find the edge. V.R.V. Singh generated pace but lacked direction and the rest failed to make an impact.

The scores:

Railways — 1st innings: S. Bangar c Sawal b Vineet 79, A. Pagnis lbw b Vineet 40, T.P. Singh c Dharmani b Sodhi 11, J.P. Yadav b Vineet 63, Raja Ali (batting) 50, Yere Goud lbw b V.R.V. Singh 15, S. Khanolkar (batting) 9. Extras (b-2, nb-18) 20. Total (for five wkts. in 90 overs) 287.

Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-77, 3-200, 4-213, 5-269.

Punjab bowling: Gagandeep 22-7-37-0, Vineet 20-3-75-3, V.R.V. Singh 18-0-58-1, Sodhi 7-0-53-1, Sawal 10-1-31-0, Rajesh Sharma 11-1-28-0, Kakkar 2-1-3-0.

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