Bhosle buoys Balmohan’s hopes

For two days it was Shardashram, who held the leash. Armed with an 82-run lead, they were sitting pretty when play resumed today with their openers having strung 108 runs without getting separated. But Bhosle had other ideas. The young medium-pacer, who had little to offer so far in the tourney, bowled anagging line peppered with vicious in-cutters to create havoc in the rival camp. The Class X student, bowling an unchanged spell (12.1-2-38-7) that began with the first over of the day, reaped a rich harvest that saw Shardashram crumble from a healthy 121 for no loss to 175 all out.

Bhosle’s earlier claim to fame was when he took a hat-trick in the Worli Sports Club under-14 tournament last season. He almost emulated that feat dismissing Rohit Salunke (5) and Sameer Shaikh (0) off successive deliveries. But Amit Patkar denied thwarted him.

Bhosle’s accuracy can be gauged by the fact that three of his victims were bowled and two were trapped leg before wicket. Opener Shirish Mandrekar was the first to depart at his overnight score of 57 (88b, 100m, 9×4) chopping a Bhosle delivery onto the stumps. Thereafter, it was Bhosle all the way.

Skipper Soham Dalvi waged a lone battle as wickets tumbled at the other end. He too fell to Bhosle but not before he had logged the side’s highest score of 85 (130b, 154m,12×4).

Stung by the reversals, the Shardashram lads came out more determined and met with immediate success when medium-pacer Abhishek Nayar sent back opener Vinay Mulay with the fifth delivery of the innings. Off-spinner Kaushal Dongre then chimed in with two wickets to leave Balmohan reeling at 27-3. However, left-handed Ameya Desai and Aditya Tausalkar ensured that Bhosle efforts didn’t go waste with a gritty 123-run association. And just when it seemed that the fourth wicket pair would see the day through, off-spinner Sameer Shaikh trapped Tausalkar leg before and Pranab Chavan, bowling from the other end meted out the same treatment to nightwatchman Bhosle (0). Tausalkar made 52 (98b, 121m, 5×4).

Shardashram may have managed to gain some advantage by capturing two wickets late in the day but they would have to contend with Desai, who returned unconquered on 69 (122b, 124m, 9×4) and yet to Harshad Rawle on the concluding day tomorrow. Rawle and Desai were instrumental in Balmohan’s fightback in thefirst innings with a 134-run stand, with the former topscoring with an 88-ball 85.

Scoreboard

Shardashram (1st innings): 294

Balmohan Vidyamandir (1st innings): 212

Shardashram (2nd innings; overnight 108-0): Shirish Mandrekar b Bhosle 57, Soham Dalvi c Desai b Bhosle 85, Sanket Mirgal b Bhosle 2, Abhishek Nayar c Patil b Bhosle 5, Rohit Salunke lbw b Bhosle 5, Sameer Shaikh b Bhosle 0, Amit Patkar lbw b Patil 0, Pradosh Mayekar b Patil 8, Pranab Chavan c Vichare b Patil 0, Sunil Mungekar lbw b Bhosle 5, Kaushal Dongre not out 0; Extras: (6b, 2w) 8. Total: (all out in 50.1 overs) 175

Fall of wickets: 1-121, 2-147, 3-153, 4-159, 5-159, 6-162, 7-166, 8-166, 9-175

Bowling: Harshad Rawle 12-3-37-0, Pramod Mungekar 6-0-20-0, Rajiv Patil 14-4-38-3, Pawan Bhosle 14.1-3-42-7, Rohan Mayekar 2-0-14-0, Amol Jadhav 1-0-8-0, Kiran Mayekar 1-0-10-0

Balmohan Vidyamandir (2nd innings): Vinayak Mulay b Nayar 0, Kiran Mayekar lbw b Dongre 8, Nitesh Vichare lbw b Dongre 16,Aditya Tausalkar lbw b Shaikh 52, Ameya Desai batting 69, Pawan Bhosle lbw b Chavan 0, Rajeev Patil batting 0; Extras: 9. Total: (for five wickets in 52 overs) 153

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-26, 3-27, 4-150, 5-153

Bowling: Abhishek Nayar 6-1-10-1, Soham Dalvi 6-0-13-0, Amit Patkar 10-2-38-0, Kaushal Dongre 8-4-12-2, Sameer Shaikh 12-1-38-1, Pranab Chavan 9-0-30-1, Shirish Mandrekar 1-0-6-0.