Gautam Dutta bowls Assam to innings win

Gautam Dutta's ten wicket match haul played a big role in Assam's innings and 56 run victory over Tripura in the East Zone Ranji Trophy league match at the Mangoldoi stadium in Agartala on Sunday. The scheduled four day game was over in a day and a half.

Dutta ripped through the Tripura batting line up in the first innings, taking eight for 23 off 11.3 overs. Tripura were shot out for 57 in 22.3 overs. Assam in reply lost six wickets for 58 but a strong rearguard action saw them reach 249. First S Ghosh (52) and GD Dutta (45) added 80 runs for the seventh wicket. Then Sukhbinder Singh, coming in at no 10, hit a breezy 73 off 68 balls with five fours and five sixes. Tripura in their second innings were bowled out for 136 with Gour Banik top scoring with 40. Dutta took two wickets for 39 to finish with match figures of ten for 62.

In another match at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack, Orissa batted doggedly to score 219 for two off 86.1 overs at close of play on the first day of the match against Bengal on Saturday.

Skipper SS Das dominated an opening stand of 52 runs in 25.3 overs with BBCC Mahapatra (3). This was followed by a second wicket partnership of 80 runs between Das and P Mullick. Das was out for 81, compiled off 171 balls with seven fours. Mullick and SS Raul then added 87 runs for the unbroken third wicket off 37.2 overs. At stumps Mullick was batting with 73 off 166 balls with seven fours and a six while Raul was batting with 40 off 114 balls with four hits to the ropes.