Khoda, Vadehra lead ONGC runfest

ONGC had a rollicking time with the bat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today, plundering 349/3 from 95 overs in an MRF-Buchi Babu quarterfinal against All India Associate Banks at Chennai. Both teams had entered this stage of the competition after winning a spin of the coin in rain ruined pre quarter final games. Gagan Khoda, Gautam Vadehra, Virender Shewag and Rizwan Shamshad all made merry against an uninspiring attack after ONGC won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Ravi Sehgal was the only one to miss out, bowled by Hyderabad medium pacer NP Singh for 30 almost on the stroke of lunch after building a first wicket stand of 86 with Gagan Khoda. The Rajasthan skipper fell for a breezy 91 (149 balls, 11 fours, and a six apiece off DP Singh and R Sridhar), caught by wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu off left arm spinner R Sridhar. Khoda seemed reluctant to leave but umpire Kashyapan advised him to stop fussing.

Naidu was not wearing the gloves when the Banks team took the field in the morning but first choice keeper Pankaj Dharmani, also the skipper, left the field after lunch necessitating Naidu to take up the job. Following Khoda's departure at 139, Vadehra and Shewag added 101 in 24 overs. Delhi allrounder Shewag was the more adventurous of the two, slamming 68 off 81 balls, including ten hits to the fence, before he was caught at slip by Devendra Bundela off Rajasthan left arm spinner DP Singh.

But there was to be more agony for the fielding side as newcomer Shamshad did not pull any punches. When play ended for the day he had hurried to 52 off only 68 balls in the course of an unbroken 109-run stand with the more watchful Vadehra who as captain of the side was playing a responsible hand at the other end. Vadehra was still at the crease seven short of his hundred (161 balls, 11 fours) when stumps were drawn.

Banks used seven bowlers with DP Singh's 1/38 being the best returns on offer. ONGC made two changes in the eleven, leaving out former India bowler Chetan Sharma and wicketkeeper Manoj Mudgal for Mithun Minhas and Sumit Dogra. The Banks side inducted off spinner Manish Panchasara for mediumpacer B Akhil.