West Zone bounce back with remarkable win

Shrugging off the reverse against North Zone, West Zone bounced back into contention with a remarkable six wicket victory over South Zone In the Deodhar Trophy league match at the Municipal stadium in Rajkot on Saturday.

It was another of those typical high scoring games played on good batting tracks. As many as 637 runs were scored for the loss of only 12 wickets off 97.5 overs. Replying to South Zone's 317 for eight in 50 overs, West Zone raced to victory for the loss of only four wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.

Vinod Kambli's second successive century in the competition was the main highlight of the match. The 28-year-old left hander, ignored by the national selectors was again in his elements, rattling up an unbeaten 119 off just 103 balls with ten fours and three sixes. Unlike last time when his century failed to prevent a North Zone victory, this time his effort was crowned with success.

Kambli received admirable support from Amol Muzumdar. The Mumbai captain also hit a fine hundred, matching Kambli in strokes and run production as the two made a West Zone victory almost certain by adding 226 runs for the third wicket off only 33.2 overs. They had come together in the tenth over after West Zone had lost two wickets for 64. Actually openers Sitanshu Kotak (31) and ND Modi (20) gave West Zone a fine start by putting on 60 runs off 8.4 overs but they fell in successive overs.

By the time Muzumdar was run out in the 43rd over for 109, for which he faced 108 balls and hit ten fours, West Zone were well on their way to victory. And even though the in form AV Kale was bowled by Kumaran for five, Kambli and skipper Nayan Mongia (18 not out off 15 balls) saw West Zone home quite comfortably.

Earlier a fine 120 by the consistent Karnataka opening batsman J Arun Kumar saw South Zone post what seemed to be a winning total. After A Nandakishore was out at 26 in the sixth over, Arun Kumar and S Mahesh gave the South Zone innings a terrific impetus by adding 159 runs for the second wicket off just 21.3 overs. Mahesh, known to really belt the ball, lived up to his reputation by scoring 85 off 74 balls with nine fours and two sixes. The middle order however could not build upon this excellent start. Arun Kumar himself was sixth out at 260 in the 42nd over. He faced 121 balls and hit 13 fours and two sixes to maintain his fine form displayed during the season. The tail also did not contribute much and it was left to Reuben Paul, with some fluent strokes, to push the score past the 300 mark. The wicket keeper from Tamil Nadu hit a timely unbeaten 42 off 30 balls with two fours and two sixes.