Bhagmender puts city on top

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

Bhagmender Singh claimed a fifer as Chandigarh restricted visitors Amritsar to 310 runs in their first innings and gained a vital 29-run lead to earn three points from their Punjab Inter-District U-23 Cricket Championship match at the Sector 16 stadium here on Wednesday. 

Chasing Chandigarh’s first innings total of 339/9 on the second and final day of the play, Amritsar made a decent beginning, with Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Kashyap adding 56 runs for the opening wicket.  

The partnership was broken when Sharma fell to Nipun Pandita on 37.

Kashyap, and in coming Abhishek Kumar, though, kept the scoreboard ticking and added 47 runs for the second wicket before Arpit Singh struck for the hosts. 

Kashyap was out after scoring a sedate 43. Kumar did not last long either and walked back to the pavilion on 12. 

Amritsar lost the next three wickets in quick succession to slump to 171/6. 

With the side in a spot of bother, Kunwar Pathak and Sumit Sharma batted sensibly and took the score to 220 runs before a needles run out saw the end of Pathak’s innings. 

Sumit, meanwhile, kept going from the other end and added another 66 runs to the total in company of Shivam. He was finally caught by Arjit off Arpit Singh for 62 runs.  

Shivam remained unbeaten on 41 as the visitors eventually folded up on 310.   

Bhagmender was the most successful bowler for the hosts, claiming 5/59. Arpit Singh returned with figures of 2/95. 

3 points for Patiala

 At Dhruv Pandove Stadium in Patiala, the hosts gained three points on account of their first innings lead of 141 runs against Jalandhar. 

Resuming at overnight total of 119/6, Patiala rode on Ekjot Singh Thind’s 109-run knock to close their first innings on 290. 

After losing Akul Pratap Pandove early in the day, Thind stitched a crucial 110-run partnership with Mayank Markande for the eight wicket and steered his side past the 200-run mark.       

The duo was separated when Markande fell to Prerit Dutta on 62. The hosts lost the remaining two wickets quickly to finally end their innings at 290 runs. 

Trailing Patiala by 141 runs, Jalandhar were batting on 201/2 when the umpires called the match.   

Mansab Gill returned unbeaten on 100, while Gaurav Chaudhary remained not out on 21. Arjun Verma (31) and Himanshu Sharma (44) were the two wickets to fall in Jalandhar’s second innings.

Mohali drub Ferozepur

At Government College grounds in Rupnagar, Mohali registered an outright win over Ferozepur to gain seven points.

Trailing Mohali by 205 runs, Ferozepur bundled out on 53 runs in their second innings to lose by an innings and 152 runs. 

Harpreet Brar was the wrecker in chief for Mohali with a match haul of 11/42.  

Earlier, Mohali, in reply to Ferozepur’s first innings total of 99 runs, had declared their innings closed on 304/6.  

Ludhiana have upper hand 

In another match, Ludhiana gained three points against visitors Gurdaspur after gaining a 121-run lead at the PAU grounds.   

Resuming the day at 136/1, Ludhiana declared their innings closed at 356/5. Nikhil Chaudhary smashed a 98-ball 110, while Nehal Wadhera made an impressive 71. Gurjot Singh added 51 runs to the total. 

Vaibhav (3/78) and Madhav Pathania (2/104) were the only wicket-takers for the visitors. 

Trailing the hosts by 121 runs, Gurdaspur had a terrible start to their second innings as they slumped to 31/4 inside 15 overs.   

Ashish Ghai and Japjot raised a 124-run stand for the fifth wicket to provide some respectability to the Gurdaspur innings as the visitors eventually closed the play on 173/6. Ghai hammered a 78-ball 97.

The third round matches will begin on June 15. While Ludhiana will host Chandigarh at the PAU grounds, Amritsar will take on visitors Gurdaspur at Gandhi Ground. 

Ferozpur travel to Jalandhar and Patiala host Mohali at Dhruv Pandove Stadium.