Ranji Trophy 2015-16: Navdeep Saini rocks Maharashtra, Delhi end Day 1 on 157/4

Pardeep Sangwan picked up 2 wickets for 19 runs. (Source: Express file)

Young paceman Navdeep Saini rocked the Maharashtra top-order in a career-best haul of six for 32 as Delhi bowled out the visitors for a paltry 80 to take control of their Ranji Trophy Group A match, in New Delhi on Saturday.

In a sensational spell, 22-year-old Saini polished off the top-five batsmen to reduce Maharashtra to 52 for five after the visitors opted to bat at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground.

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Pradeep Sangwan (2/19) and Manan Sharma (2/25) sharedfour wickets between them as Delhi needed just 25.4 overs to wrap up the Maharashtra innings.

Only three visiting batsmen — opener Harshad Khadiwale (21), Ankit Bawne (16) and Sangram Atitikar (16) — managed a double-digit score.

Delhi were leading by 77 runs as they ended the opening day at 157 for four with Dhruv Shorey (54 batting) an Nitish
Rana (59) scoring half-centuries.

Skipper Gautam Gambhir did not get a substantial score,bowled by Samad Fallah for six and his opening partner Unmukt Chand (4) also fell cheaply.

Shorey and Rana added 99 runs for the third wicket to stabilise the innings but. Paceman Shrikant Mundhe broke the stand by trapping Rana and wicket-keeper batsman Rishab Pant (19) also his wicket but Shorey kept the one end tight. Giving Shorey company was Milind Kumar (8).

Brief Scores: Maharashtra 1st innings: 80 all out in 25.4 overs(H Khadiwale 21, A Bawane 16; N Saini 6/32) Delhi 157 for 4 in 52 overs.(D Shorey 54 batting, N Rana 59; S Mundhe 2/48)

Haryana struggling at 140/7 against Assam

Medium pacer Krishna Das led the way with four wickets as Assam restricted Haryana to 140 for seven in their Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match in Lahli on Saturday.

Das picked up four for 44 after Haryana skipper Mohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium.

Only 60 overs of play was possible on the first day of the match owing to bad light.

Wakhare takes four as Bengal collapse midway

Hosts Bengal squandered a splendid 118-run opening partnership to close day one at 217/7 as Vidarbha rode on offspinner Akshay Wakhare 4/40 to bounce back in their Ranji Trophy cricket match in Kolkata on Saturday.

Abhimanyu Easwaran (58; 135b; 10×4) and Sayan Sekhar Mondal’s careerbest 56 (146b; 8×4) gave Bengal a spectacular start after they were put in to bat on a greentop at the Jadavpur University (second campus) ground in Saltlake.

But the hosts went on to lose four wickets for 22 runs with left-arm seamer Shrikant Wagh (2/34) and Wakhare springing into action as skipper Manoj Tiwary (3) and Shreevats Goswami (1) went cheaply.

Brief Scores Bengal 217/7; 82 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 58, Sayan Sekhar Mondal 56, Sudip Chatterjee 49 batting; Akshay Wakhare 4/40, Shrikant Wagh 2/34) vs Vidarbha