Karnataka take first day's honours

After dismissing Andhra for 220 runs, Karnataka scored 97 for one wicket at stumps on the first day of the KSCA Coca Cola Trophy (under- 25) cricket tournament match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Thursday.

Opting to bat, Andhra were rocked by a fine opening spell by medium pacer Sunil Kumar who dismissed TS Prasad (1) and S Reddy (0) with successive deliveries. From nine for two, Andhra recovered thanks to two valuable partnerships. First, opener Anil Kumar (59) and Raj Kiran (29) added 47 runs for the third wicket off 11.2 overs. Then Anil Kumar and Balaji Krishna (42) increased the score by 57 runs during a fourth wicket association that lasted 15.2 overs. While Anil Kumar faced 81 balls and hit eight fours and a six, Balaji Krishna faced 69 balls and hit three fours and a six. Thereafter there was a middle order slump as Andhra slid from 142 for four to 186 for nine. However Balasaraswathi Reddy, coming in at No 10, hit out boldly. He scored 40 off 46 balls with three fours and a six, totally dominating a last wicket partnership of 34 runs off 7.5 overs with Laxman Kishore (2). Sunil Kumar emerged the most successful bowler with four for 41.

Andhra had the encouragement of an early wicket with Pramod bowled by Balasaraswathi for 12. But Shyam Ponappa (58) and AR Mahesh (23) shared an unbroken second wicket stand of 85 runs off 29 overs to place Karnataka in a position of some strength at stumps.