Kaul takes 4 as Punjab beat Baroda by 3 wickets

Vadodara, October 9 

Pacer Siddarth Kaul starred with the ball before Punjab put up an all-round batting effort to register a three-wicket win over Baroda in their Group B match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Put in to bat, Baroda rode on Vishnu Solanki’s half-century and Yusuf Pathan’s 43 to reach 222/8 in the stipulated 50 overs. Solanki scored a 74-ball 54 with six boundaries and one six. He was trapped leg-before by leg-spinner Mayank Markande in the 25th over. Former India all-rounder Pathan looked in explosive form, hitting three sixes and one four but could not guide Baroda to a big total as he was dismissed by Kaul with seven balls remaining. Kaul returned with the figures of 4/58, Markande (2/31) scalped two wickets while skipper Gurkeerat Singh and Ramandeep Singh picked up one wicket each.

Chasing 223, Punjab lost opener Abhijeet Garg for a duck in the second over. Captain Gurkeerat and Anmol Malhotra scored 39 runs each. Abhishek Sharma (38) and Sharad Lumba (33) also chipped in with the bat. Karan Kalia scored an unbeaten 35 to seal the victory for Punjab. 

For Baroda, Rishi Arothe (3/47) was the pick of the bowlers. This was Baroda’s fourth consecutive loss. For Punjab, this was their third win from four matches. They have only lost to Haryana. 

Brief Scores: Baroda: 222/8 (Vishnu Solanki 54; Siddarth Kaul 4/58); Punjab: 223/7 (Gurkeerat Singh 39, Ramandeep Singh 39; Rishi Arothe 3/47) — PTI