Himachal on the brink of clinching title
Himachal Pradesh were within touching distance of the Plate Group title, shooting out Orissa for 202 for 8 in their second innings at Cuttack
Cricinfo staff
31-Jan-2007
Himachal Pradesh were within touching distance of the Plate Group title, shooting out Orissa for 202 for 8 in their second innings at Cuttack. Having amassed 477 in their first innings, thanks to Sarandeep Singh and Ashok Thakur cracking half-centuries, HP's bowlers left Orissa struggling by the end of the fourth day.
Resuming on 405 for 8, HP rode on fifties from the overnight pair. Sarandeep and Thakur smashed 16 fours between them and thwarted Orissa for 26.2 overs. A lead of 160 was always going to be vital and HP's bowlers chipped away at the Orissa innings for the rest of the day. Vikramjeet Malik, Vishal Bhatia and Sandeep Sharma snared two wickets apiece and didn't allow any big partnerships to develop.
Several Orissa batsmen got starts - Halhadar Das top-scored with an unbeaten 47 - but none kicked on to a big score. With only two wickets in hand, and a slender lead of 42, it may just be a matter of time before Orissa are vanquished on the final day.
