Medium pacer Anupam Sanklecha ripped through Vidarbha with a careerbest seven-wicket haul as they crashed to their lowest score of 59 against Maharahstra in their group B Ranji Trophy cricket fixture on Sunday.
Sanklecha returned with 7/25 which included a devastating second spell of 5-3-10-5 after a change of ends as Vidarbha's first innings folded in two hours 15 minutes, in the first session.
Such was the hurry that Vidarbha whose previous lowest against Maharashtra was 61 (Nashik, 2010-11), lost their last five wickets for eight runs to sink to a new low.
In reply Maharashtra were 240 for 3 to take a firm grip on the four-day match with a massive 181-run lead, exactly the same as Naushad Sheikh (111 batting) and Ankit Bawne's (75 batting) undefeated fourth wicket stand. Maharashtra began on a jittery note after being reduced to 12/2 in the third over but Jadhav fresh from his exploits against New Zealand counter attacked before being dismissed in a sloppy manner for a 29-ball 30 (6x4).
But Shaikh batted with patience en route to his second successive century and he struck 19 fours and one six. He found a good company in Bawne (75 from 131 balls; 10x4, 2x6) as the duo carried on from where they had left in their match against Rajasthan where the duo had put on 177 including Shaikh's 143.
Bengal crawl to 190/3
Rajkot: Bengal batsmen led by Manoj Tiwary employed a cautious approach against a disciplined Tamil Nadu attack that restricted them to 190 for 3 on the first day of the Ranji Trophy group A encounter.
Skipper Tiwary did all the hardwork to reach 56 off 161 balls with five boundaries before he was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner R Aushik Srinivas. Young left-hander Agniv Pan (51 batting) continued his good form while Bengal were dealt a blow with dependable left-hander Sudeep Chatterjee having to retire hurt at 34 due to a pulled hamstring.
Pan however showed some intent during his 131 ball knock that had seven boundaries and a six. However Tiwary's second half-century didn't help Bengal much as he committed to a stroke as Srinivas got a return catch.