New Zealand 'A' notch up huge total
Resuming on 303/4, the New Zealand 'A' side posted a mammoth 474/8 declared in the first innings of their clash against MRF at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Staff Reporter
21-Aug-2001
Resuming on 303/4, the New Zealand 'A' side posted a mammoth 474/8
declared in the first innings of their clash against MRF at the MA
Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The home side in response made 113/2 off
27 overs before play was called off on the second day.
As on the first day, the New Zealand 'A' batsmen enjoyed the best of a
flat wicket on Monday. Hamish Marshall, unbeaten on 84 when the day's
play began, notched up an innings highest 120 (16 fours, 2 sixes)
before being caught by Sridharan Sriram at covers off the bowling of
left arm spinner Babloo Kumar. Marshall's quick knock enabled the New
Zealand 'A' team to pile on the runs. Batting around Marshall was
well-built southpaw Jacob Oram. The pair added 92 runs for the fifth
wicket.
After Marshall's departure, Oram continued to notch up the runs, with
stumper Chris Nevin also playing a good hand. Oram's innings finally came
to a close when he was seventh out with the score on 452. Oram's 74
came off almost twice as many balls and included seven boundaries and
a six. Nevin's 29 (49 balls, 4 fours) helped New Zealand 'A' reach
474, the score at which they eventually declared.
Steady batting by MRF skipper Sriram (45 not out, 82 balls, 8 fours)
and Tanveer Jabbar (51, 77 balls, 9 fours) saw MRF cross the 100 mark.
However, still 361 runs behind in the first innings, with just one day
left to be played, the MRF team is in a position they would have liked
to avoid. In the event that the first innings of both teams is not
completed, the match will be decided by spin of the coin. Simply put,
MRF need to score 361 runs off the minimum 95 overs to be bowled
tomorrow. If they are dismissed for less than 474, New Zealand will
advance to the semi-finals. And finally, if MRF bat out the final day
and yet fail to take the first innings lead, the fate of both teams
will lie in the result of the coin toss.