Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | Elite Group A - Sturdy middle-order helps Gujarat clinch fourth win

01/30/2020

A sturdy performance from Gujarat’s middle-order — led by skipper Parthiv Patel — helped Gujarat clinch their fourth victory of the season, by four wickets against Vidarbha. Bad light and rain combined to help Delhi survive the new ball and earn a point against Bengal at the Eden Gardens.

Gujarat conquer the defending champions

Set 179 to win in the fourth innings, the hosts had reached 74 at stumps on day three with the loss of four wickets. Manprit Juneja and Roosh Kalaria then added 36 more before paceman Umesh Yadav struck removed them both in the space of two overs. The visitors sniffed an opportunity as Juneja departed having made 41 and Kalaria scoring 26 — with 61 runs still required. However, Parthiv and Chirag Gandhi took the team home in a counter-attacking partnership, with the skipper finishing on 41 — with five fours and a six — and taking home the Man-of-the-Match award. With the win, Gujarat climbed to the second spot in the points table — one point behind Andhra on 27, while Vidarbha are still on 17.

Rain, bad light saves Delhi three points

In the end, Bengal and Delhi were forced to retire home with a solitary point gained. All of 180.4 overs were bowled across four days, and in the end, it took some firm resistance from Delhi’s lower-order batsmen — led in chief by Jonty Sidhu’s unbeaten half-century — to stave off a first-innings deficit. On day four, Delhi added 25 runs to their overnight total of 217 for seven in seven overs before bad light interrupted play. The rain that followed ensured that Bengal will stay fifth with 20 points and Delhi stay ninth with 17 points. For his 99 in the first innings, Anustup Majumdar was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award.