The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Chamara Silva, Warnapura come good; Rajesh scalps four

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Chamara Silva, Warnapura come good; Rajesh scalps four

S. Sabanayakan

COCK-A-HOOP: North Zone's Joginder Sharma celebrates after nailing Sri Lanka `A's Michael Vandort.

KOLKATA: Sri Lanka `A' failed to capitalise on the perfect batting conditions on the first day of the five-day Duleep Trophy final against North Zone at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. Sri Lanka `A', put in, made 296.

In reply, North ended the day at 51 without loss. Aakash Chopra (39) and Gautam Gambhir (7) were at the crease.

Negative line

On a pitch that did not have much to offer, North bowlers toiled hard, especially the medium-pacers.

Only Ashish Nehra was able to move the ball, but he bowled a negative line.

Medium-pacer Gagandeep Singh got his team's first breakthrough by claiming Mahela Udawatte leg-before in the fourth over. One-change bowler Joginder Sharma, who was clearly the day's best bowler, picked up two quick wickets that of Michael Vandort and captain Thilan Samaraweera in successive overs, the former playing on a full-length ball and the latter beaten by the slight movement to be caught behind.

Centurion in the last game, left-handed Malinda Warnapura and another southpaw Jehan Mubarak joined forces and added 62 runs for the fourth wicket.

Superb catch

The partnership was broken when Yashpal Singh held a superb catch, diving full length to his left at third slip, off Gagandeep to dismiss Warnapura. Warnapura made 65 with 11 hits to the fence and a six. Chamara Silva joined Mubarak in the middle, and the two added 34 runs.

Meanwhile, North skipper Mithun Manhas opted for spin. Off-spinner Rajesh Sharma, who initially did not pose much of a problem, produced a terrific arm-ball that bowled Mubarak for 39.

Wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva, in the company of Chamara, added 88 runs for the sixth wicket before Kaushal was run out to a direct throw from point fielder Joginder Sharma to the non-striker end.

Chamara also left soon with Yashpal taking a brilliant catch at gully off Gagandeep. Chamara's 130-minute stay at the wicket produced 84 runs (98b, 13x4).

Rajesh polished off the tail to end with four for 85.

The scores:

Sri Lanka `A' — 1st innings: M. Vandort b Joginder 14, M. Udawatte lbw b Gagandeep 1, M. Warnapura c Yashpal b Gagandeep 65, T. Samaraweera c Rawat b Joginder 0; J. Mubarak b Rajesh 39, C. Silva c Yashpal b Gagandeep 84, K. Silva (run out) 27, R. Herath c Rana b Rajesh 17, A. Ganegama (not out) 31; D. Prasad c Manhas b Rajesh 7, I. Amarasinghe lbw b Rajesh 0. Extras (lb-3, nb-8) 11. Total (in 69.1 overs) 296.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-42, 3-48, 4-110, 5-144, 6-232, 7-243, 8-271, 9-279.

North Zone bowling: Nehra 16-0-87-0, Gagandeep 18-4-67-3, Joginder -2-33-2, Rana 6-0-21-0, Rajesh 16.1-1-85-4.

North Zone — 1st innings: A. Chopra (batting) 39; G. Gambhir (batting) 7. Extras (lb-4, nb-1) 5. Total (for no loss in 11 overs) 51.

Sri Lanka `A' bowling: Ganegama 5-1-15-0, Prasad 3-0-15-0, Amarasinghe 2-0-8-0, Herath 1-0-9-0.

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