The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Kiran and Paul take day's honours

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Saturday, Jan 21, 2006

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Kiran and Paul take day's honours

Special Correspondent

Bose chips in with three wickets

KOLKATA: Kiran Powar scored a crucial century to propel Baroda to 241 in its first innings in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Bengal at the Eden Gardens here on Friday. It was Powar's 116 (224b), in a stay of nearly five hours, and his 104-run partnership for the fourth wicket with skipper Jacob Martin that saw the visitor reach a respective total.

It is not going to be easy for Bengal too, as there is some grass on the pitch. The Bengal medium-pacers moved the ball around throughout the day and thing could be the same on the second day's play. Shib Shankar Paul and Ranadeb Bose grabbed five and three wickets apiece, while off-spinner Sourashish Lahiri and medium-pacer Laxmi Ratan Shukla shared the other two.

Right time

Kiran (29), elder brother of India ODI player Ramesh Powar, left Assam two seasons ago to join Baroda. This season, though he has been chipping in with useful runs, he has never gone on to make a big hundred. A 94 against Hyderabad in the last league game was his highest and he couldn't have timed his first century of the season — and eighth in Ranji Trophy — better.

Kiran's hit 16 boundaries with power and timing. Though he was tentative against the moving deliveries, he showed caution and patience to overcome that phase. Martin made a half-century after being spilled at slip when on 15 by Arindam Das off Paul. Kiran, too, should have been taken at slip but Bengal skipper Deep Dasgupta and Subhamoy Das did not react quickly to the edge off Bose. Powar was just in his 50s at that time.

Just reward

Paul was instrumental in Bengal taking the upperhand. The burly right-arm medium-pacer was spot on, bowled a good length and made the ball to disconcertingly move away. For his hard work, he was rewarded with five for 53, his seventh five-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy. Paul took his tally to 32 in eight matches.

Bengal left out Rohan Gavaskar who was unfit and blooded rookie Kamal Hassan Mondal.

The scores:

Baroda — 1st innings: C. Williams lbw b Paul 10, P. Shah c Das b Paul 0, R. Solanki lbw b Bose 9, J. Martin b Paul 51, K. Powar c sub (Pal) b Paul 116, Y. Pathan c Tiwari b Paul 5, A. Bhoite c Dasgupta b Shukla 14, R. Pawar c Tiwari b Lahiri 3, R. Patel c Paul b Bose 7, S. Joshi b Bose 4, I. Pathan (not out) 7; Extras (b-2, lb-5, w-5, nb-3): 15; Total (in 87.3 overs): 241.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-12, 3-28, 4-132, 5-151, 6-202, 7-209, 8-230, 9-230.

Bengal bowling: Paul 24-5-53-5, Bose 22.3-3-83-3, Lahiri 28-6-63-1, Shukla 7-2-10-1, S.S. Singh 6-2-25-0.

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