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Monday, Dec 10, 2007
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Superb spell by Vinay

Special Correspondent

MYSORE: R. Vinay Kumar produced a lion-hearted bowling performance to help host Karnataka restrict Saurashtra to 229 for eight on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group A Super League clash at the Gangothri Glades grounds here on Sunday.

On a wicket which had good carry, Vinay’s five for 70 also took him to a personal milestone — his 100th Ranji wicket — in his 30th match.

What was baffling was Karnataka skipper Yere Goud’s decision to put the visitor in on a pitch that’s expected to break after the second day. Saurashtra, however, did not capitalise on Goud’s largesse as it managed just two decent partnerships.

Exploiting the morning dampness, both Vinay and N.C. Aiyappa beat the bat often before the former had Sagar Jogiyani caught behind, the first of wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu’s five catches.

Sitanshu Kotak fell leg-before to Vinay before the left-handed opener Kanaiya Vaghela and the consistent Cheteshwar Pujara put on 62 for the third wicket. Pujara, who has amassed more than 600 runs this season, was elegant in his drives and struck eight boundaries in his 48 before edging an intended drive off Vinay to Robin Uthappa. Vinay then induced Vaghela to edge behind where Naidu took a smart catch.

Steadying the ship

Rakesh Dhruv and skipper Jaydev Shah steadied the innings with a 55-run stand for the seventh wicket. Dhruv looked a lot more positive than his captain and was particularly severe on veteran spinner Sunil Joshi before becoming Vinay’s fifth victim. This is the fifth time Vinay has taken five wickets in an innings.

Joshi induced Jaydev into playing a false shot and the former holed out to Appanna in the deep as Saurashtra was in trouble again. However, the bowlers — Kamlesh Makvana (nine batting) and Sandeep Jobanputra (17 batting) — saw the side through to stumps.

Vinay twice limped off the field with cramps and Joshi and Appanna had to complete his unfinished overs, something the host can ill-afford from its leading bowler.

The scores: Saurashtra — 1st innings: K. Vaghela c Naidu b Vinay 37, S. Jogiyani c Naidu b Vinay 0, S. Kotak lbw b Vinay 18, C. Pujara c Uthappa b Vinay 48, F. Bambhaniya c Naidu b Aiyappa 13, R. Jadeja c Naidu b Aiyappa 9, J. Shah c Appanna b Joshi 34, R. Dhruv c Naidu b Vinay 34, K. Makvana (batting) 9, S. Jobanputra (batting) 17; Extras (lb-8, nb-2): 10; Total (for eight wkts. in 90 overs): 229.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-50, 3-112, 4-114, 5-135, 6-136, 7-191, 8-206.

Karnataka bowling: Vinay 22.3-4-70-5, Aiyappa 19-6-49-2, Chipli 8-4-5-0, Joshi 25.2-11-44-1, Raghu 5-0-13-0, Appanna 10.1-2-40-0.

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