Sarandeep Singh spins Delhi to victory

Delhi's new recruit off-spinner Sarandeep Singh spun magic, grabbing six wickets, to send Services crashing to an innings and 23 run defeat in the North Zone Ranji Trophy League Match at the Palam Ground here today.

Requiring 170 runs to make Delhi bat again after they made 297 in the first innings and followed-on., Services were bundled out for 147 on the last day. Delhi had scored 467 for five declared in their first innings. Unlike in the first three days, the Delhi spinners received assistance from the pitch, which had developed cracks and the services batting except Yashpal Singh were bedazzled by the zip, turn, and bounce extracted by Sarandeep, Abishek Sharma and Rahul Sanghvi. Yashpal Singh, who hit 83 facing 182 balls with nine hits to the boundary, was the only one to show some resistance, as seven of his colleagues returned with single digits scored.

Delhi were bang on target from the very beginning as the bowlers bowled according to the attacking field set by skipper Mithun Manhas. The strategy yielded reward in the seventh over when seamer Amit Bandhari trapped opener NP Singh in front of the wicket. Services lost two more quick wickets as Sarandeep send back Jasveer Singh (2) and PMS Reddy (13) in the space of twelve balls to leave Services reeling at 27 for 3. The offie then struck the crucial blow in the 24th over when he rattled the stumps of services skipper Sanjay Verma who attempted a mighty heave over long-on, bringing Yashpal Singh to the crease.

Yashpal Singh straight away counter-attacked and played some lusty shots to shrug off the early losses and grafted 49 runs with Sarabjeet Singh for the fifth wicket. The resistance however was shortlived as Sarabjeet Singh edged one to first slip to give young Abishek Sharma his maiden wicket in first class cricket. Yashpal Singh got no support from the other batsmen and with Sarandeep claiming three more victims the procession towards the pavilion hastened.

At 127 for nine, Yashpal Singh went for the big shots in an effort to make Delhi bat again. He perished in the process, castled by Bandhari.