Players Details
Fixture & Results
Manoj, Sudip give Bengal a fighting chance
1st December 2016
Bengal stole Mumbai’s dream of an easy win in a Group-A Ranji Trophy match today in Nagpur, by setting a 303-run second innings lead, riding the centuries off Skipper Manoj Tiwary (169) and Sudip Chatterjee (130). Bengal finished the day on 433 for 8, before bad light stopped play.
Commencing on the overnight 198 for 3, with just 68 runs lead, Bengal was left with miles to walk before the day ended. The new day could belong to anyone but it was Bengal who rose to carpe diem.
Skipper Manoj Tiwary and Sudip Chatterjee made sure that the team bats through the session uninterrupted, and went on to put on a partnership of 271 runs before Sudip fell to Abhishek Nayar reducing Bengal to 327 for 4.
However, Manoj Tiwary continued the talking with his bat going past an excellent 150, before his innings came to an unfortunate end being run out by Shardul Thakur. He scored 169 off 288 balls.
Later in the day, when a lead of 300 was looking impossible, Pragyan Ojha contributed a useful 30 runs to take Bengal over the mark.
For Mumbai, the bowlers struggled, they tried everything but in the end the day went to Bengal. Dhawal Kulkarni returned with figures 4 for 108, while Abhishek Nayar took 2 for 70.
At stumps batting for Bengal, Pragyan Ojha (30) and Amit Kuila (18).
“Happy with the way things have gone today. Sudip and I played really well to give us a good chance in the match. Tomorrow will again be crucial. We will have to bowl well and get them out,” said Skipper Manoj Tiwary.
Asked about why the declaration didn’t come early, he said, “We would have declared today and make them play at least ten overs, but the light suddenly became poor and the play had to be stopped.”
“Our bowlers have done quite well in the tournament so far. Hope they bring out another good performance tomorrow and make us win the match. But again Mumbai is a good side, it will not be an easy task,” he concluded.
On the other hand, in the Under 16 Vijay Merchant Trophy here at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Bengal reached 284 for 7 to end the first day’s play against Odisha.
Put into bat, Bengal lost their first wicket, Diganta Neogi (29) for 37. But then a second wicket partnership of 115 runs between Ayush Pandey (76) and Dibya (48) steadied Bengal’s innings, before Ayush was sent off by Shibasish Sahoo, reducing Bengal to 152 for 2.
Bengal lost their third wicket, when Dibya was trapped by the same bowler taking Bengal down to 165 for 3.
Among the other, Arin Roy (34), Karan (30) contributed some useful runs to the total.
Shibasish Sahoo remained the top of the bowler with figures 3 for 38.
CAB MEDIA DESK
Sayan Banerjee
