Published:October 14, 2016 7:11 pm
Maharashtra captain Swapnil Gugale remained unbeaten on a career best 351. (Source: PTI)
Swapnil Gugale and Ankit Bawane on Friday broke a 70-year-old partnership record for all wickets in the Ranji Trophy championship when they stitched a massive, unfinished stand of 594 for Maharashtra against Delhi in a Group B match at the Wankhede Stadium.
When Maharashtra applied closure to their first innings, Gugale was unbeaten on a career-best 351, that contained 5 sixes and 37 fours off 521 balls, while his third wicket partner Bawane remained unconquered, also on a career-best 258 laced with 2 sixes and 18 fours.
The duo, who had come together within 45 minutes of play starting on the first day on Thursday, were unseparated after breaking the previous all-time best fourth wicket partnership record of 577 set by Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammed for Baroda against Holkar way back in 1946-47 in Baroda.
Maharashtra declared their first innings closed at 635 for 2 to which Delhi replied with 21 without loss in five overs before stumps with openers Unmukht Chand (4) and Mohit Sharma (14) at the crease.
Delhi, at close, were 614 runs adrift of the huge total put up by Maharashtra.
Delhi used as many as nine bowlers to break the stand between the 25-year-old Pune-born Gugale and 23-year-old Aurangabad-born Bawane and all came to nought.
Gugale, dropped on 38 and 105 on Thursday, had another slice of luck when on 262 as he was let off by Parwinder Awana off left arm spinner Varun Sood. The duo had resumed the innings at the overnight 290 for 2 with Gugale on 152 and Bawane on 120.
Sood and Manan Sharma were the most expensive Delhi bowlers, giving away 107 and 148 runs without taking a wicket. Delhi were also without the services of their lone wicket taker Navdeep Saini who left the field early in the morning after pulling a stomach muscle and did not bowl again.
Brief scores: Maharashtra 635 for 2 decl. (Swapnil Gugale not out 351, Ankit Bawane not out 258; Navdeep Saini 2 for 44) v Delhi 21 for no loss (Unmukht Chand batting 4, Mohit Sharma batting 14).
Saurashtra concede first innings lead to Odisha
Saurashtra conceded the first innings lead after their batsmen failed to come good against Odisha and were dismissed for 186 on the second day of the Group B Ranji Trophy match.
In reply, Odisha were 62/2 after their first innings effort of 228. At stumps, Govinda Poddar (13) and Anurag Sarangi (13) were holding fort for Odisha. It was a poor batting effort by Saurashtra, whose bowlers had done well to dismiss Odisha on the first day itself.
Skipper Jaydev Shah produced the Saurashtra’s best batting effort with a 64-run that was laced with eight hits to the fence. Chirag Jani was the other notable contributor with a 45-run knock, which had four fours.
Basant Mohanty was the top wicket-taker for Odisha with figures of 4/58 in 20 overs. Suryakant Pradhan and Dhiraj Singh scalped three wickets apiece.
Brief Scores: Saurashtra: 186 in 67.3 overs (Jaydev Shah 64, Basant Mohanty 4/58) Odisha: 228 and 62/2 in 23 overs (Ranjit Singh 25, Jaydev Unadkat 1/13).
Rajasthan reach 208/3 against Assam
Rajasthan produced a solid batting performance to be 208/3 in their first innings on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Group B clash against Assam.
After dismissing Assam for 195 yesterday, Rajasthan rode on a fine middle order batting effort to grab the first innings lead. Mahipal Lomror was the star of the show for Rajasthan, unbeaten at 84 along with Rajat Bhatia (28) when stumps were drawn for the day.
Lomror’s 239-ball knock was studded with 10 hits to the fence and his partnerships with Vineet Saxena (30) and Ashok Menaria (44) proved crucial in Rajasthan’s steady batting performance.
With Saxena, he combined to add 76 runs for the second wicket before forging a 75-run stand with Menaria for the fourth wicket.
For Assam, Arup Das and Pallavkumar Das picked up a wicket each.
Brief Scores: Assam: 195 all out Rajasthan: 208/3 in 88 overs (Mahipal Lomror 84 batting, Ashok Menaria 44).
