KANPUR, March 31: Mohammad Kaif and Saurabh Shukla cashed in on the benevolence of Haryana bowlers -- and fielders -- to hammer contrasting hundreds and propel Uttar Pradesh to a near unassailable position on the second day of their five-day Ranji Trophy cricket quarter-final here at the Ordnance Equipment Factory grounds today.Kaif's marathon innings and Shukla's enterprising unbeaten stint helped UP pile up an imposing 293 for two in reply to Haryana's first innings total of 156, when stumps were drawn to a "teasing" day's play. The pair added 183 runs for the second wicket.
It was agonising for the Haryana bowlers on a listless track, but their miseries were heightened by their butter-fingered fielders more than anything else.
Twice Pankaj Thakur foxed Kaif with his flight, but the fielders -- Pradeep Jain and Parinder Sharma -- reacted late only for the catches to be spilled.
That was the only sniff Kaif offered to the bowlers en route to piling his maiden century in first-class cricket. Cautiousand circumspect in the first session, he did not stutter to push along the scoring rate when a tired Haryana bowling attack seemed to have given up all hopes.
Saurabh Shukla, on the other hand, played his strokes freely. He waded into left-arm spin of Pradeep Jain, striking two towering sixes in consecutive overs. The first went over extra-cover, while the other landed on the roof of the dressing room. He hit another off Thakur, besides 14 fours and was still going strong at close of play.
SCOREBOARD
Haryana (1st innings): 156
Uttar Pradesh (1st innings): M Kaif c Nain b Dhanraj 100, J Yadav c V Yadav b Nain 51, S Shukla batting 114, R Shamshad batting 7. Extras (b 2, lb 3, nb 15, w 1): 21. Total (for 2 wickets): 293
Fall of wickets: 1-81 2-264
Bowling: V Jain 13-7-24-0, Nain 18-5-46-1, Dhanraj 23-8-55-1, P Jain 29-9-69-0, Thakur 29-8-83-0, Shafiq Khan 5-1-11-0.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
