Bharath Shankar leads TNCA XI to victory

K. Bharath Shankar.

A match-winning unbeaten century — it was a back-to-back hundred — by opener K. Bharath Shankar gave TNCA XI a five-wicket win over Tripura on the second day of the Kalpathi-Buchi Babu all-India tournament here on Monday.

Chasing 222 and struggling at overnight 66 for four, the home team was lifted by a 144-run five-wicket partnership in 54.4 overs between Bharath Shankar (133 not out, 262b, 17x4, 1x6) and night-watchman Rahil Shah (42). Topping Group ‘B’, TNCA XI is through to the quarterfinals. Off-spinner Malolan Rangarajan’s five for 63 gave TNCA President’s XI a thumping 152-run win over Kerala at the IIT-Chemplast ground. Although Kerala was dismissed for 219, No. 8 P. Prasanth made an attacking 97 (122b, 17x4, 2x6). TNCA President’s XI has booked its berth in the last-eight stage from Group ‘D.’

Andhra defeated Bengal by 76 runs at the RKM-Vivekananda ground with off-spinner G.V.S. Prasad scalping six.

Earlier, K. Bharat Reddy (74, 116b, 5x4, 1x6) and A.G. Pradeep (53, 90b, 1x4, 1x6) notched up half centuries for Andhra; Bengal left-arm paceman Sourav Mondal took five wickets. Andhra and Karnataka have qualified for the quarterfinals from Group ‘A.’

In a bizarre collapse, Hyderabad, coasting at 126 for two, lost five wickets for three runs in the space of 13 deliveries, but still managed to squeeze out a three-wicket win over TNCA Districts in a Group ‘C’ contest at the SRMC ground. P. Akshath Reddy made 56 (131b, 4x4, 1x6) for Hyderabad which chased just 133.

Paceman Abu Nechim Ahmed’s four for 40 was a key performance in Assam’s 109-run win over Baroda in a Group ‘D’ duel at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

The scores: Day two: Group ‘A’: At RKM-Vivekananda: Andhra 303 in 81.1 overs (K.S. Bharat 45, D.B. Prashanth 79, K. Bharat Reddy 74, A.G. Pradeep 53, Sourav Mondal five for 51, A. Goni three for 86) bt Bengal 227 in 62 overs (Anustup Majumdar 53, Abhimanyu Easwaran 43, Arnab Nandi 34, G.V.S. Prasad six for 66).

Points: Andhra 4, Bengal 0.

Group ‘B’: At IC-Guru Nanak: Tripura 221 in 69.2 overs lost to TNCA XI 224 for five in 86.1 overs (K. Bharath Shankar 133 n.o., Rahil Shah 42). TNCA XI 4, Tripura 0.

Group ‘C’: At SRMC: TNCA Districts 132 in 80.4 overs lost to Hyderabad 136 for seven in 49.5 overs (P. Akshath Reddy 56, Hanuma Vihari 40). Hyderabad 4, Districts 0.

Group ‘D’: At MAC: Assam 224 in 86.5 overs bt Baroda 115 in 62.5 overs (Hitesh Solanki 50, Abu Nechim Ahmed four for 40). Assam 4, Baroda 0.

Group ‘D’: TNCA President’s XI 371 for seven in 100 overs bt Kerala 219 in 72.1 overs (P. Prasanth 97, Malolan Rangarajan five for 63). TNCA President’s XI 4, Kerala 0 .