Rajasthan crushed Goa by 84 runs to secure their second successive win and lead the Group E table in the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Thursday.
First it was their in-form opener Abhijeet Tomar who set it up, topscoring for Rajasthan with his 92 to notch up a challenging 257/8 after Goa elected to field.
Then Rajasthan leftarm spinner floored the Goa batters with his 5/12 to bowl them out for 173 in 42.3 overs.
Tomar, who scored an unbeaten 104 in their win over Punjab on Wednesday, carried on from where he left and held on despite wickets falling at the other end.
Tomar hit four sixes and five boundaries and looked set for a second successive century before falling short by eight runs in the 46th over.
Ravi Bishnoi propped up the total at the death with two sixes for his 10-ball 20 not out.
Goa’s chase went terribly wrong as Rajasthan leftarm spinner Shubham Sharma bowled with utmost guile and precision.
Gaikwad scores another ton, Venkatesh stars with 112 for MP
Maharashtra run machine Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a second successive hundred in as many days to lead his team to a thumping eight-wicket win over Chhattisgarh in a Group D match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Thursday. The Maharashtra skipper on Wednesday left the job unfinished getting out for 136 in their high scoring chase against Madhya Pradesh, but this time he paced his innings beautifully on way to an unbeaten 143-ball 154 and hunt down 277 with three overs to spare.
The 24-year-old smashed five sixes and 14 boundaries and was in total control of the chase, making him a strong prospect for a debut call up in the upcoming ODI series in South Africa.