Nineteen-year-old off-spinner V. Ashwin returned figures of six for 101, as Aruna dismissed Young Stars for 307 on the first day of a ninth-round TNCA first-division league cricket match here.
Spotted at Aruna’s open trials before the season, Ashwin had seven wickets from his two previous first-division matches. V. Subramania Siva (65) and M. Suresh Babu (60) made half-centuries for Young Stars, whose runs came at a rate of more than 4.5 per over. Aruna was on 78 for two at stumps.
Y. Venugopala Rao (100, 157b, 10x4, 2x6) and S. Sriram (56) had to draw on all their experience as they added 131 for the fifth wicket at MRF-Pachaiyappa’s in a match between the league’s top two teams at this stage. Globe Trotters, eight points ahead of second-placed Rovers after eight rounds, ended on 301 for six.
Valuable partnership
In other action on Monday, TI Cycles had India Pistons reeling, on 134 for nine, before A.C. Prathiban (79 n.o.) and M. Mohammed (49) rescued their side with a 120-run stand for the last wicket from 36.1 overs. Seamer S. Thiyagarajan, with four for 56, was TI’s most successful bowler.
At the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, medium-pacer Vijay Shankar (five for 52) and left-arm spinner Rahil Shah (four for 40) combined to enable Grand Slam bowl UFCC (T. Nagar) out for 193. Only V. Ganga Sridhar Raju (51) and R. Prasanna (50), both left-handers, were among the runs.
Inserted by Indian Bank at IC-Guru Nanak, Vijay ended the day on 299 for nine, with half-centuries from R. Rohith (60) and K.B. Arun Karthick (62). Off-spinner M.O. Arjun Sarathy claimed four wickets.
Another off-spinner, IOB’s Joel Joseph, took four wickets as well, helping his side restrict Alwarpet to 249 for eight at IIT-Chemplast. Captain P. Shijith Chandran (67) and M. Lakshminarayanan (74 batting) led Alwarpet’s resistance.
The scores (ninth round, day one): At IIT-Chemplast: Alwarpet 249 for eight in 95 overs (P. Shijith Chandran 67, M. Lakshminarayanan 74 batting, Joel Joseph four for 84) vs. IOB. Toss: Alwarpet .
At Murugappa: India Pistons 254 in 85 overs (A.C. Prathiban 79 n.o., M. Mohammed 49, S. Thiyagarajan four for 56) vs. TI Cycles 26 for no loss in three overs. Toss: Pistons.
At SRMC turf: Young Stars 307 in 66.2 overs (Petson Mathews 46, V. Subramania Siva 65, N. Suraj 48, M. Suresh Babu, 60, V. Ashwin six for 101) vs. Aruna 78 for two in 21 overs. Toss: Young Stars.
At MRF-Pachaiyappa’s: Globe Trotters 301 for six in 90 overs (Y. Venugopala Rao 100, S. Sriram 56) vs. Jolly Rovers. Toss: Trotters.
At MAC: UFCC (T. Nagar) 193 in 86 overs (V. Ganga Sridhar Raju 51, R. Prasanna 50, Vijay Shankar five for 52, Rahil Shah four for 40) vs. Grand Slam 14 for no loss in two overs. Toss: Grand Slam .
At IC-Guru Nanak: Vijay 299 for nine in 89.2 overs (R. Rohith 60, K.B. Arun Karthick 62, M.O. Arjun Sarathy four for 89) vs. Indian Bank. Toss: Indian Bank .
