The Hindu : Sport : South wins a low-scoring match

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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South wins a low-scoring match

G. Viswanath

West Zone assured of lifting Deodhar Trophy

Mumbai: Skilful practitioners of seam bowling led the charge on a helpful surface in the All Star Series Deodhar Trophy league match at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.

Evidence of defiance came from a batsman or two, but North's Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma and thereafter South's Khatib Shahabuddin (four for 30) made the batsmen capitulate in a low-scoring match, which ultimately South won by 30 runs. South's victory confirmed that West Zone would collect the trophy next Sunday, regardless of the outcome of its match against South.

Telling blows

First the gangling seamer Ishant conceded 50 plus runs, but brought South's smooth progress to a halt dismissing V.V.S. Laxman, Venugopala Rao and C. Raghu in 18 balls. Tamil Nadu's S. Badrinath, who grafted his way to a useful half century, and Karnataka's Thilak Naidu put up a semblance of a fight, raising 44 for the sixth wicket, before Nehra wiped out the tail.

Shahabuddin shines

After skittling out South for 191, North seemed to be coasting, but a strong burst by Shahabuddin, who had blown away Gautam Gambhir for zero in his first over, reduced North from a promising 41 for one to a dismal 41 for four; his victims being Dinesh Mongia and Shikhar Dhawan, out for a first ball duck. B. Ahkil compounded North's misfortune forcing an edge from Karan Goel.

Joginder Sharma was run out failing to beat a Vinaykumar throw to Venugopala Rao. Bipul Sharma (53, 6 x 4, 1 x 6), who had taken a few lessons from national selector Venkatapthy Raju during the interval, carried on with the duel, but eventually South notched up its first win in three matches.

The scores:

South Zone: B. Rowland b Nehra 14, S. Asnodkar c Dharmani b Joginder 7, V.V.S. Laxman c Goel b Ishant 22, V. Rao c Dharmani b Ishant 21, S. Badrinath c & b Mongia 51, C. Raghu c Dhawan b Ishant 0, T. Naidu (run out) 31, B. Akhil b Mongia 20, K. Shahabuddin c Dharmani b Nehra 7, R. Vinaykumar c Dharmani b Nehra 1, P. Ojha (not out) 0; Extras (lb-2, nb-7, w-8): 17. Total (in 44.3 overs): 191.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-35, 3-61, 4-82, 5-82, 6-126, 7-163, 8-186, 9-189.

North bowling: Nehra 8-0-1-27-3, Joginder 7-1-23-1, Ishant 10-0-51-3, Sarandeep 10-0-38-0, Bipul Sharma 3-0-20-0, Mongia 6.3-0-30-2.

North Zone: K. Goel c Naidu b Akhil 25, G. Gambhir c Raghu b Shahabuddin 0, D. Mongia b Shahabuddin 12, S. Dhawan c Naidu b Shahabuddin 0, P. Dharmani (run out) 7, Yashpal Singh lbw b Vinaykumar 6, Joginder Sharma (run out) 29, Bipul Sharma c Ojha b Rao 53, Sarandeep Singh lbw b Akhil 10, A. Nehra c Vinaykumar b Shahabuddin 8, I. Sharma (not out) 1; Extras (b-4, lb-1, w-5): 10. Total (in 46.4 overs) 161.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-41, 3-41, 4-41, 5-49, 6-72, 7-95, 8-136, 9-156.

South bowling: Shahabuddin 9-1-30-4, Vinaykumar 10-2-25-1, Akhil 9-1-34-2, Ojha 10-2-38-0, Raghu 5-0-16-0, Rao 3.4-0-13-1.

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