Satpathy bowls Indian Railways to innings victory

After dominating the match throughout, Indian Railways predictably completed an emphatic innings and 120-run victory over Maharashtra on the final day of their MRF Buchi Babu invitation cricket tournament first round tie at the Southern Railway ground in Chennai on Tuesday.

Resuming at 365 for four, Railways piled on the agony for Maharashtra before declaring at 527 for nine off 131.5 overs. Yere Goud, 157 overnight, went on to get 221 before he was fifth out at 472. He and the other overnight batsman Santhosh Sahu added exactly 200 runs for the fifth wicket off 39.4 overs. The 29-year-old captain who batted almost 7-1/2 hours, faced 329 balls and hit 26 fours and four sixes. Sahu who had in the meantime got to his century, was out in the following over. For his 100, Sahu faced 117 balls and hit 13 fours and a six. Kulamani Parida chipped in with a bright unbeaten 30 off 37 balls with four hits to the ropes before Goud applied closure. Ten bowlers were tried out by Maharashtra skipper Abhijit Kale but only Mandar Sane who took four for 100 did anything of note.

The first innings deficit of 260 runs knocked the fight out of the Maharashtra ranks. With off spinner Sanjay Satpathy in fine form, wickets fell at regular intervals. About the only show of defiance was provided by Ranjith Khirid who had top scored in the first innings too. This time he made 58 off 73 balls with nine hits to the fence. Coming in when the first wicket fell in the first over, he was fifth out at 121. He and opening batsman Jaideep Narse (25) added 58 runs for the second wicket. Thereafter it was all downhill as Satpathy finished with seven for 52 off 13.2 overs for match figures of nine for 129. Opening bowler SD Kannan took the other three wickets for 18 runs off 10 overs.

Contrary to expectations, the final day's play in the MRF Buchi Babu invitation cricket tournament first round match between Tamil Nadu Districts and All India Associate Banks at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai was rather uneventful. At stumps on Monday, with Districts 164 for four in reply to AIAB's total of 344, the stage seemed set for a keen battle for the all important first innings lead. But it was an anti climactic final day. Districts, who collapsed towards the closing stages of Monday's play, after a century stand for the first wicket between Noorul Riaz and Haroon Basha, slid further and the side were all out for 238. Only R Satish with 44 off 143 balls with four hits to the fence put up a show of defiance. Left arm spinner Sridhar was the wrecker-in-chief and ended with five for 33 off 30.2 overs.

In the second innings during a truncated day (play started 90 minutes late in the morning because of overnight rain), AIAB scored 105 for one off 33 overs when play was called off after the first mandatory over.

AIAB now await the winner of the first round match between Indian Airlines and Jolly Rovers in the quarterfinal.