Pramanik's 10-wicket haul powers Bengal to 287-run win over Kerala

Mangalapuram (Keralam), Oct 29 (PTI) Spinner Pradipta Pramanik grabbed his maiden 10-wicket match haul in first-class cricket to complement Shahbaz Ahmed's all-round show as Bengal thrashed Kerala by 287 runs on the fourth and final day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match here on Thursday.

Resuming at 53/4 while chasing a daunting target of 408, Kerala were bowled out for 120 in 38.4 overs to hand Bengal their third consecutive victory of the season.

Bengal consolidated their position at the top of the group table with 18 points, six clear of Maharashtra who logged three points on basis of their first innings lead over Guajrat in Pune.

Pramanik, playing his 19th first-class match, finished with figures of 6/51 in the second innings after claiming 4/44 in the first, returning a match haul of 10/95 at the KCA Cricket Ground in Mangalapuram.

The left-arm spinner struck early on Thursday, dismissing overnight batter and Kerala captain Vishnu Vinod, who was out for 19, without adding to his overnight score. Pramanik then removed Salman Nizar for one to leave Kerala struggling.

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami tightened Bengal's grip by dismissing Aditya Sarwate and Vaisakh Chandran as Kerala slumped to 70/8.

Mohammed Azharuddeen attempted to resist with 26 off 44 balls, including three boundaries, while MD Nidheesh counterattacked with 33 off 28 deliveries, hitting five fours and a six.

However, Shahbaz ended Azharuddeen's resistance before dismissing Nidheesh in his next over to wrap up the innings.

Shahbaz was named Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round contribution. He had scored 121 in Bengal's first innings and claimed 2/22, before adding 20 runs and taking 2/19 in the second innings.

Riding on Shahbaz's innings, Bengal had posted 350 and added 198 in the second to set Kerala a target of 408.

Kerala managed 141 in their first innings, with Vinod scoring 41, before their second-innings collapse sealed a comprehensive victory for Bengal.

    Maharashtra take three points vs Gujarat

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    Maharashtra secured three points on the basis of their first-innings lead after Gujarat's declaration left them with a challenging target of 340, but not enough time pressure to force an outright result.

    Resuming at 227/3, Gujarat declared their second innings at 446/5 in 101.1 overs, with Aarya Desai scoring 151, Jaymeet Patel remaining unbeaten on 119 and Urvil Patel falling just four runs short of a century at 96 off 71 balls.

    Gujarat's substantial second-innings total set Maharashtra a tall target of 340, but their approach appeared geared towards batting out the remaining time rather than pursuing victory.

    Maharashtra finished at 141/4 in 47 overs, with Digvijay Patil unbeaten on 55 off 91 balls and Sachin Dhas scoring 26.

    Gujarat were left to settle for one point, having missed the opportunity to press harder for an outright win.

    Maharashtra had scored 330 in reply to Gujarat's first-innings 223 to secure the crucial lead.

Badoni's double ton in rain-hit draw

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No play was possible for the second successive day due to rain caused by Cyclone Arnab over the Bay of Bengal, forcing Delhi and Jharkhand to settle for a draw with one point each in Ranchi.

    The match ended without further play on the third and fourth days.

Delhi captain Ayush Badoni's second successive double century was the standout performance of the contest.

Badoni remained unbeaten on 210 off 228 balls, striking 19 fours and three sixes, as Delhi declared their first innings at 515/5 in 130 overs.

Badoni, who had also scored a double hundred in the previous match, continued his prolific run with the bat and was named Player of the Match. He also claimed one wicket for 16 runs in Jharkhand's first innings.

In reply, Jharkhand reached 131/4 in 47 overs before rain washed out the remaining two days.

Cyclone forces draw between Odisha and Services

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No play was possible on the fourth and final day as Cyclone Arnab over the Bay of Bengal continued to disrupt the match between Odisha and Services at the KIIT Stadium in Bhubaneswar, forcing the teams to share one point each.

Brief Scores:

At Mangalapuram: Bengal 350 and 198. Kerala 141 and 120 in 38.4 overs (MD Nidheesh 33, Mohammed Azharuddeen 26; Pradipta Pramanik 6/51, Shahbaz Ahmed 2/19). Bengal won by 287 runs. Points: Bengal 6, Kerala 0.

    At Pune: Gujarat 223 and 446/5 declared (Aarya Desai 151, Jaymeet Patel 119 not out, Urvil Patel 96). Maharashtra 330 and 141/4 in 47 overs (Digvijay Patil 55 not out, Sachin Dhas 26; Siddharth Desai 2/37). Match drawn. Points: Maharashtra 3, Gujarat 1.

At Ranchi: Delhi 515/5 declared. Jharkhand 131/4. Match drawn. Points: Delhi 1, Jharkhand 1.

At Bhubaneswar: Odisha 194. Services 40/0. Match drawn. Points: Odisha 1, Services 1.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)