Elite B trounce Plate A by nine wickets

A commanding performance with bat and ball saw Elite B secure a nine-wicket win over Plate A on the third day of their four-day Duleep encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

On Thursday, Plate A skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar did not have to wait long to rue his decision of batting first. With new-ball bowler Amit Uniyal snaring five wickets and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahatule chipping in with three wickets, Plate A were skittled out for 135 despite being 85/1 at one stage. Opener Barrington Rowland, who made 51, was the top-scorer for his team.

When Elite B replied, openers Vinayak Mane and Amit Pagnis led the way with contrasting half-centuries. While Pagnis took just 80 balls to make 55, Mane adopting a more studious approach made 76 off 200 balls. Ambati Rayudu, the teenage sensation from Hyderabad was the other batting star for Elite A, making 52 off 93 balls. The contributions of the trio along with a 37 from all-rounder Romesh Pawar, helped their team make 329 in reply.

Having conceded a 194-run first-innings lead, Plate A were faced with the prospect of being inflicted an innings defeat. But with Yashpal Singh scoring 93 and three other top-order batsmen chipping in with 30s, they managed to get to 244 before being all out in their second essay. Bahatule, with 4/44 from 19 overs, was the leading wicket-taker this time around.

Elite B lost Mane early in their pursuit of the 51-run victory target. But Pagnis (23* off 18 balls) and Wasim Jaffer (30* off 28 balls) ensured that their side earned a win without suffering any further contretemps.