Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | Elite Group A - Bowlers run riot in Patiala; Wasim Jaffer hits 12k
Bowlers ran riot on day one in Patiala — picking up all of 24 wickets on day one — in the clash between Punjab and Andhra in the eighth round matches. Meanwhile, veteran Wasim Jaffer crossed the 12,000 run milestone in his first-class career in Vidarbha’s clash against Kerala at Nagpur.
24 wickets fall on day one in Punjab-Andhra clash
Opting to bat first never looked worse for Andhra skipper Ricky Bhui, as his team were reduced to 94 for seven at lunch and bowled out for 97 three overs later. Siddarth Kaul starred for Punjab with five for 24, including a hat-trick to clean up the tail. Shoaib Khan and Siraparapu Ashish fought back equally impressively — each picking up five wickets each — to restrict the hosts’ lead to a mere 11 runs. In their second bout, the visitors huffed and puffed their way to 31 for four at stumps, a lead of 20 runs over Punjab. Vinay Choudhary added three more wickets to his collection from the first bout.
Three half-centuries guide Delhi to respectable total
Powered by fifties from opener Hiten Dalal, and middle-order batsmen Himmat Singh and Kunwar Bidhuri — the latter remaining unbeaten on 78 at stumps — Delhi reached 270 for six on day one against Gujarat. Opting to bowl first, the visitors had early success before Dalal was joined by Delhi skipper Dhruv Shorey and put on a 73-run stand. Arzan Nagwaswalla — who finished with figures of three for 54 — then triggered a mini-collapse, before Himmat and Kunwar added 134 runs for the sixth wicket. For Gujarat, Roosh Kalaria chipped in with two wickets while Axar Patel broke the century-stand off what proved to be the last ball of the day.
Milestone-breaker Wasim Jaffer helps Vidarbha recovery
Under-the-pump Kerala began their day against the defending champions brightly. Opting to bowl first, they had Vidarbha two down for 23 in the 11th over. However, once Jaffer and Ganesh Satish — both eventually completing patient half-centuries — got together, Vidarbha’s scenario improved. Their 104-run stand was followed by four other mini-partnerships which took the hosts through to 239 for six at stumps on day one. MD Nidheesh (three for 53) and NP Basil (two for 39) impressed with the ball for Kerala at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
Lower-order pushes Rajasthan past 200
Put into bat at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan posted a respectable 241 in their first bout. Despite the shaky start with saw both their openers dismissed with the score only at 40, No.3 Mahipal Lomror — top-scorer with 52 — helped rebuild the innings with Aditya Garhwal. Bengal’s star Mukesh Kumar — who returned with figures of six for 62 — then had Rajasthan reeling at 97 for five, before cameos from the rest of the batting lineup — down to No.11 Arafat Khan — rescued the ship for the hosts.