Mumbai batting order crumbles as Tamil Nadu pile on the pressure. (Source: Express Photo by Kevin D’ Souza)

Tamil Nadu were just six runs short of taking the first innings lead against Mumbai after left arm spinner Rahil Shah ripped through the visitors’ batting line-up with a seven-wicket haul on day one of the Ranji Trophy Group A cricket match in Chennai on Wednesday.

Opting to bat, Mumbai wilted under the double end spin attack to be bowled out for 141 in 48.5 overs. Tamil Nadu in reply were 136 for 4 in 43 overs with Vijay Shankar (47*, 5×4) and Baba Aparajith (0*) in the middle at stumps.

Shah, opening the attack, claimed two wickets in his first spell before taking five later in the day. Off spinners Suresh Kumar (2/54) and Malolan Rangarajan (1/37) were the other wicket takers.

Six of the Mumbai batsmen failed to cross the single digits, while the top order collapsed with Shreyas Iyer (50) being the exception.

Opener Aditya Tare was the first to exit making 17 runs and veteran Wasim Jaffer failed to open his account after being caught at mid off region by Baba Aparajith off Shah.

Brief scores:

Mumbai 141 all out in 48.5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 50; Rahil Shah 7/34)

Tamil Nadu 136/4 in 43 overs (Dinesh Karthik 43, Vijay Shankar 47)

Hooda century powers Baroda to 320/8 on Day 1

Middle-order batsman Deepak Hooda hit a strokeful century to lift Baroda from a precarious position and end the opening day on 320 for eight against table-toppers Karnataka in the Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match in Mysore on Wednesday.

Electing to bat in the four-day encounter at Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground, the Aditya Waghmode-led side saw a top-order collapse and were reeling at 93 for five when Hooda (142) stitched a 87-run sixth-wicket partnership with Irfan Pathan (34) to steady the Baroda boat.

Brief Scores:

Baroda 1st Innings 320/8 in 90 overs (Deepak Hooda 142, Irfan Pathan 34; Abhimanyu Mithun 3-75., Ronit More 2-52)

Bengal crawl to 141/4 on curtailed opening day

Young left-hander Sudeep Chatterjee scored a patient half century after a painstaking start by opener Arindam Das as Bengal crawled to 141 for four in 57 overs against Uttar Pradesh on a curtailed first day of round six of the Ranji Trophy cricket tournament in Ghaziabad on Wednesday.

At stumps, Wriddhiman Saha (45, 78 balls, 9×4) was at the crease having added 52 runs for the fourth wicket with Sudeep (60, 128 balls, 7×4), who was unfortunately run out at fag end of the day courtesy Kuldeep Yadav’s direct throw at non striker’s end.

Brief scores:

Bengal 141/4 (Sudeep Chatterjee 60, Wriddhiman Saha 45 batting, Kuldeep Yadav 2/58) vs UP

Railways reach 50/1 as weather plays spoilsport again

Crucial play time was lost due to a wet pitch and bad light on day one of the Ranji Trophy Group A cricket match between Railways and Jammu and Kashmir at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday.

After a delayed start of the game, J&K opted to field against the hosts who eventually reached 50 for one in 23 overs at stumps.

Brief scores:
Railways 50/1 in 23 overs (Nitin Bhille batting 22, Rohan Bhosale batting 24)