PUNE, Dec 29: Maharashtra underestimated their opponents calibre totally and added to that, their shoddy display, gave one the impression that they took their game lightly. With their body language too reflecting zero confidence -- Saurashtra eliminated them in all fields with a convincing 27-run win in their West Zone Ranji Trophy one-day league at the Deccan Gymkhana ground, today.Saurashtra skipper Sudhir Tanna won the first battle by guessing the coin right and opted to bat. However, on a wicket full of runs proceedings failed to take off on expected lines with two wickets(Sudhir Tanna ans Bimal Jadeja) falling in a span of five balls. Seasoned Sitanshu Kotak (92) played the sheet anchor's role to perfection. He shared a decisive 125 run partnership with Prakash Datta for the fourth-wicket after the fall of Brij Datta (42/3).
The last 17 overs totally changed the complextion of the game with the visitors compiled 148 runs at the rate of just under nine an over.
Maharashtra who faced a
staggering 5.9 runs per over task on hands had their experienced duo -- opener Surendra Bhave and skipper Shantanu Sugwekar play resilient innings to give the hosts some respectibility in the end.
SCOREBOARD
SAURASHTRA: S Tanna c Maktekar b Oak 2, S Kotak c Bhave b Sugvekar 92, B Jadeja c Shahane b Siddique 0, B Datta c Sugvekar b Agashe 13, Prakash Bhatt run out 73, H Parsanna c Kale b Sugvekar 35, N Rane b Sugvekar 18, M Parmar not out 22, K Mehta not out 5. Extras (b-8, lb-7, nb-2, w-19) 36. Total (7 wkts in 50 overs) 296.
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-3, 3-42, 4-167, 5-238, 6-250, 7-271.
Bowling: Siddique 7-0-35-1, Oak 6-0-24-1, Agashe 8-1-29-1, Sugvekar 9-0-64-3, Kamtekar 10-0-64-0, Dalvi 10-0-65-0.
MAHARASHTRA: S Bhave st Parmar b Kotak 102, H Kinikar c Parsanna b Rana 16, S Sugvekar c&b Kotak 34, A Kale run out 27, K Kadam b Garsodia 35, I Siddique c Kotak b Bhamhania 6, I Kamtekar run out 9, P Shahane not out 23, M Dalvi not out 7. Extras (b-1, lb-6, w-3) 10.
Total (7 wkts in 50 overs) 269.
Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-119, 3-175, 4-196, 5-205, 6-227, 7-249.
Bowling: Garsodia 10-1-26-1, Rana 7-0-41-1, Parsanna 10-0-55-0, Bambhania 9-0-60-1, Kotak 10-0-53-2, Mehta 3-0-18-0, Tanna 1-0-9-0.
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
