Kaila helps Punjab beat HP by innings & 91 runs

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 18

Skipper Karan Kaila claimed a match haul of 11 wickets as Punjab beat Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 91 runs at Dhruv Pandove Stadium here today to register their second successive win in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy.  

With today’s victory Punjab has maintained its supremacy in Group A. The side has 14 points from two matches and is four points clear of Delhi, which is placed second with a win and a draw to its credit.  

Earlier, Punjab had registered an innings and 10 run win against Vidarbha in their opening match of the tournament.  

Needing 167 more runs on the final day to make hosts Punjab bat again, Himachal could only add 76 runs to their overnight total of 185/6 as Kaila claimed three of the remaining four wickets to bundle out the visitors for 261 runs in their second innings.

Punjab had amassed mammoth 529 runs in their first innings with Anmolpreet Singh scoring 202 runs. Sanvir Singh struck 105.    

Himachal skipper AP Sharma was the first one to go today — caught by Jagjit Singh off Akul Pratap Pandove after adding just four runs to his yesterday’s aggregate of 20 runs. 

Wicketkeeper batsman MA Sharma and MJ Dagar tried to delay the inevitable with a defiant 54-run stand for the eighth wicket. But Kaila finally made the break through in the 65th over, removing MA Sharma for on 247. A ball later, he dismissed Dagar to push Punjab closer to victory. 

Dagar made a quick-fire 41 with the help of six fours and one six, while Sharma was out for a laboured 24.   

Abhishek Kumar and KR Mahajan added 13 runs to the total before Kaila dismissed the latter to wrap up the Himachal innings.

The outright victory meant that Punjab, like their previous outing against Vidarbha, won with a bonus point. 

Haryana top Group B

In Group B, Haryana jumped to the top of the table with a 33-run win over Kerala in a low scoring match at Chaudhry Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Lahli. 

Electing to bat, the hosts were bowled out for just 96 runs in their first innings as Anand Joseph ran through the side with a six-wicket haul. 

Joseph removed VV Sahu to claim his first wicket after Athif Bin Ashraf had removed opener AA Sharma for four runs.  

Skipper MS Hooda became Joseph’s second victim, edging one to Salman Nizar on eight. Anubhav Ahuja returned to the hut without disturbing the scorers as he was cleaned up by Fanoos for naught. He then ended an 88-ball vigil of opener SR Sharma (32) to reduce Haryana to 68/5 within 28 overs.  

The remaining five wickets could manage just 28 runs as Joseph dismissed MA Singh, Tinu Kundu, RJ Balhara and Sonu Balhara in quick succession.     

Kerala, in reply, made a cautious start with openers Rohan S Kunnummal and Vishnu Raj adding 45 runs in 18 overs.

The duo was separated when RJ Balhara removed Kunnummal on the first ball of the 19th over. 

In coming Albin Alias and Raj, however, kept the Haryana bowlers at bay as they slowly but steadily approached the hosts’ first innings total. 

Raj in particular was looking good before Tinu Kundu cut short his journey. The Kerala opener faced 115 runs for his 41. Sixteen runs later, Alias also returned to the pavilion. But by then, the visitors had gained a slender two-run lead over the hosts. 

The visitors lost their next three wickets for the addition of just eight runs to the total to slump to 106/6. 

Skipper Fabid Ahmed and Rabin Krishna held the fort for a while but failed to provide respectability to the Kerala total as the visitors eventually folded up on 153.  

RJ Balhara (6/50) and Kundu (4/21) shared 10 wickets between them but could not stop Kerala from gaining a vital 57-run lead.

Lagging behind Kerala, Haryana were jolted early in their second essay as Fanoos cleaned up SR Sharma for nine runs. AA Sharma (22) and VV Sahu (10) did not last long either.    However, skipper Hooda and wicketkeeper batsman Anubhav Ahuja batted well to overhaul the deficit. Hooda was out for 31, while Ahuja made a vital 48. SP Kumar contributed 24 runs to the total as hosts set up Kerala a victory target of 116 runs.  

The visitors, though, could manage only 82 runs in their second essay as RJ Balhara and Kundu combined once again for a 10 wicket haul. Balhara claimed 5/44, while Kundu returned with figures of 5/23.