The Hindu : Tamil Nadu wins with bonus point

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 06, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

Tamil Nadu wins with bonus point

By Our Sports Reporter

Tamil Nadu's Dhandapani signals the end of Punjab's Sanjay Mahajan (who was trapped lbw) during their Ranji Trophy inter-zonal limited-overs match in Chennai on Wednesday. Dhandapani finished with five wickets.

CHENNAI MARCH 5. For a side that pulled off a sensational last-ball victory chasing Maharashtra's 254 at the same ground the previous day, Punjab's inept batting display against Tamil Nadu at the IIT-Chemplast ground on Wednesday did come as a surprise.

It might have had something to do with the changes in the batting order. Nevertheless, there is no taking away the credit for a professional display by the host bowlers who helped the side post a seven-wicket win. The bonus point secured here has opened up the Ranji Trophy limited-overs cricket tournament for zonal winners (five-team, all-play-all league). Tamil Nadu has nine points with a game to go, similar to Punjab. Thursday is a rest day and on Friday the host takes on Bengal.

New-ball bowlers, S. Mahesh and D.J. Gokulakrishnan, sent back the top four batsmen by the 11th over after Punjab opted the bat; the dismissals looked soft owing to the effortless manner the catches were held.

Ravneet Ricky and S.P. Singh, who had made a half-century the previous day, steadied the innings with a fifth-wicket stand of 48 before Dhandapani provided the breakthrough in his very first over when he had the former caught at cover. It was the first of the off-spinner's five victims as he finished his 10 overs on the trot bowling a steady line and length.

Southpaw Amit Uniyal came up with some lusty hits while adding 37 with Sanjay Mahajan for the seventh wicket before Dhandapani broke the stand. Thereafter, the North Zone champion collapsed in quick time to be bowled out for 169.

The host needed to achieve the target at a rate 1.25 times more than the opposition for the bonus point. Southpaw S. Ramesh, who knocked up his third successive half century (88 not out, 111b, 7x4), and skipper S. Suresh made it easy with a 102-run opening-wicket stand.

The scores:

Punjab: H. Jugnu c Ramesh b Gokulakrishnan 10, M. Sharma c Madanagopal b Mahesh 25, P. Dharmani c Mahesh b Gokulakrishnan 4, R.S. Sodhi c & b Mahesh 0, R. Ricky c Suresh b Dhandapani 28, S.P. Singh c Madanagopal b Dhandapani 26, S. Mahajan lbw b Dhandapani 21, A. Uniyal c Raju b Dhandapani 39, S. Sawal c & b Dhandapani 1, N. Singh lbw b Sriram 4, V. Sharma (not out) 5; Extras (lb-1, w-5) 6; Total (in 47.4 overs) 169.

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-35, 3-36, 4-41, 5-89, 6-109, 7-146, 8-158, 9-160.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Mahesh 7-3-16-2, Gokulakrishnan 8-1-36-2, Saravanan 6-0-20-0, Ramkumar 10-1-30-0, Suresh 3-0-12-0, Dhandapani 10-0-42-5, Sriram 3.4-1-12-1.

Tamil Nadu: S. Suresh c Sodhi b S.P. Singh 43, S. Ramesh (not out) 88, S. Sriram c & b Sawal 9, S. Sharath c Ricky b S.P. Singh 4, J.R. Madanagopal (not out) 19; Extras (lb-1, w-7, nb-1) 9; Total (for three wkts., 38 overs) 172.

Fall of wickets: 1-102, 2-125, 3-132.

Punjab bowling: Vineet Sharma 5-0-25-0, Uniyal 4-1-22-0, Mahajan 3-0-11-0, N. Singh 7-0-40-0, Sawal 10-0-34-1, S.P. Singh 9-0-39-2.

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