Chandigarh trounce Kerala by an innings and 92 runs

Chandigarh bowlers tore through Kerala batting line-up for a second time to carry their side to an emphatic innings and 92-run victory on the third day of a Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match here on Saturday. Kerala resumed from overnight 21 for two and required to score 256 more runs to avoid an innings defeat. But off-spinner Vishu Kashyap (3/41) and pacer Rohit Dhanda (4/38) wreaked havoc as the home side was bowled out for 185.

For Kerala, Vishnu Vinod (56) and Salman Nizar (53) added 63 runs for a steady fifth wicket stand, but it only delayed the inevitable. The result helped Chandigarh to grab seven points, including a bonus point for an innings win, and move up to seventh in the group with 8 points. Kerala also have 8 points, but were pushed down to eighth because Chandigarh have a win under their belt.

MP in charge: At Alur (1) grounds, Himanshu Mantri made an unbeaten 89 off 203 balls as Madhya Pradesh established an overall lead of 336 runs against Karnataka at stumps on Day 3. Mantri added 58 runs for the second wicket with Shubham Sharma after Yash Dubey departed in the early stages of MP’s second innings.

But their innings descended into a mini-chaos as they lost captain Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer in quick succession to get reduced to 99 for four from 96 for one. But with Mantri solid at one end, MP managed to swell their lead past 300, and put the match possibly beyond Karnataka, whose best hope out of this game might be a draw and one point.

Brief Scores:

At Mangalapuram: Kerala: 139 and 185 all out in 48 overs (Vishnu Vinod 56, Salman Nizar 53; Rohit Dhanda 4/38, Vishu Kashyap 3/41) lost to Chandigarh: 416 by an innings and 92 runs.

At Alur: Madhya Pradesh: 323 and 204/6 in 71 overs (Himanshu Mantri 89 batting; Vidhyadhar Patil 3/39) vs Karnataka: 191 all out.

At Pune: Goa: 209 and 210/6 in 73 overs (Abhinav Tejrana 109, Darshan Misal 52 batting; HA Walunj 3/45) vs Maharashtra: 350 all out in 106 overs (Saurabh Nawale 105).