Bengal thrash Punjab by 115 runs, get 6 points

Bilaspur, october 23 

Bengal walloped the Yuvraj Singh-led Punjab by 115 runs in their Ranji Trophy Group A encounter. Chasing a target of 360, Punjab were dismissed for 244 in 72.3 overs with Pragyan Ojha (4/70) complementing the pace duo of Amit Kuila (3/93) and Ashok Dinda (2/59).

Bengal were all out for 226 in their second innings after the lower-middle order added only 44 runs to their overnight score. Skipper Manoj Tiwary (92*) was stranded at one end having hit 12 boundaries and a six in his 130-ball knock.

Kuila had a match haul of eight wickets but Sayan Sekhar Mondal’s first innings ton got him the Man of the Match award. Ojha got the prized scalp of Yuvraj Singh (26 off 22 balls), who was looking dangerous, having hit a couple of sixes and a four during his brief stay. Bengal made a good comeback after Punjab openers Jiwanjot Singh (44) and Manan Vohra (75) added 100 runs in 26.3 overs. Bengal then took wickets at regular intervals to reduce Punjab to 162/7, and only a 55-run last-wicket partnership got them close to 250. Bengal got six points while Punjab got none. 

J&K lose by four wickets

Mumbai: Andhra Pradesh turned the tables on Jammu and Kashmir after conceding the first innings lead, as they romped to an exciting four-wicket victory with 15 balls to spare in their Group C match. — PTI

Ranji Trophy 

Brief scores: Bengal: 404 and 226 (Manoj Tiwary 92*, Siddharth Kaul 6/57); Punjab: 271 and 244 in 72.3 overs (Manan Vohra 75, Yuvraj Singh 26, Pragyan Ojha 4/70, Amit Kuila 3/93, Ashok Dinda 2/59).

Tripura: 549; HP: 311 and 349/5 in 80 overs (Ankush Bains 113, Nikhil Gangta 64*, Rishi Dhawan 54*, Prashant Chopra 51; Gurwinder Singh 4/96) Points: Tripura: 3, HP: 1.

J&K: 334 and 111 (S Khajuria 49, B Bhatt 5/60, P Vijay Kumar 3/16); AP: 255 and 194/6 (KS Bharat 31, DB Ravi Teja 50, A Hebbar 27*; P Rasool 4/55, Ram Dayal 2/26); Points: AP: 6; J&K: 0.

Haryana: 178 and 289; Chhattisgarh: 189 and 117 (Abhimanyu Chauhan 46, Mohit Sharma 5/27); Points: Haryana 6; Chhattisgarh 0.