Bengal thrash Assam by an innings and 140 runs

The Bengal-Assam Cooch Behar Trophy Under 19 encounter ended on the second day itself after Bengal thrashed minnows Assam by an innings and 140 runs. On winning the toss at the world famous Eden Gardens cricket ground at Calcutta, Assam put Bengal into bat. Apart from losing the toss, Bengal could do nothing wrong.

Opener Arindam Das with a solid 133 (209 balls, 10 fours) gave Bengal exactly the kind of start they needed. Although his partner and skipper AP Chakraborty managed just 29, Arindam Das found an able partner in Subhamoy Das. Coming in at the fall of the first wicket, Subhamoy Das helped himself to 103 (141 balls, 10 fours, 1 six) and shared a partnership of 240 runs for the second wicket. Good contributions following the demise of the centurions saw Bengal reach 336/4 in just 73 overs. Having declared at this stage, Bengal ruined Assam's chances by reducing them to 21/5. The first three batsmen failed to score for Assam.

On the second day, the misery continued for Assam as they slipped to 42/8. A quick 35 from B Baruah at number nine enabled Assam to reach 92 before being all out. Sabir Ali, who opened the bowling for Bengal returned figures of 5/28 from his 12 overs. Having failed to make the cut, Assam were asked to follow on.

In their second stint at the crease, the visiting side did only marginally better. They were shot out for 104, with all batsmen failing once more. On this occasion it was Gourav Sharma who ripped through the batsmen, picking up 6/36 off 17 overs. What Sharma failed to do, Tanweer Hyder Khan finished, claiming the remaining wickets and bagging 4/22. In the end, Bengal had immense reason to celebrate, having registered a thumping win by an innings and 140 runs.