Tags:
Journalism of Courage
PUNE, JAN 8: Maharashtra pace bowler Iqbal Siddique, along with partner Milind Kulkarni, humbled Baroda in their second innings to help Maharashtra register an outright 180-run win a day in advance, to complete their West Zone Ranji Trophy engagements at the Poona Club ground today.
The day belonged to Iqbal and Milind who scalped five wickets apiece making it a career best 12 for 79 match-haul for Iqbal.
With this win, Maharashtra gained eight points and swelled their total tally to 18 points from four games, the same as Baroda and have brightened their chances of qualifying for the Super League stage. However, the hosts would stand clear only after the outcome of the Mumbai-Saurashtra tie. If Saurashtra win or gain five points, the hosts’ would miss out on third spot (as Baroda have a better run-rate).
Meanwhile, the visitors’s reply to their opponents’s 258-run target gave the impression that they were heading for an outright win with 21 runs coming off the first two overs of their second innings reply. However, the wicket of R Swaroop triggered the downfall.
In the fourth ball of the second over, Swaroop was caught unaware by a low Milind delivery, to be trapped in front of the wicket. In the next over, Iqbal had the other opener Moiunddin Kadri caught behind by Sanjay Kondhalkar.
Just as tea approached, left-handed Connor Williams edged to Santosh Jedhe at second slip off Milind. At tea, Baroda were 49 for three off 12 overs with Martin Jacob batting on eight and southpaw Atul Bedade on five.Bedade, who looked vulnerable, especially against Iqbal, eventually fell in the second over after tea off the same bowler, offering a simple catch to wicket-keeper Sanjay.
Iqbal, who was in his second over after tea, struck again two deliveries later when Kiran More’s answer to his half-volley landed in the hands of Abhijeet Kale at mid-off.
Thereafter, Milind picked up from where Iqbal left, sweeping the tail which include his 100th Ranji scalp. On the second ball of his ninth over, he trapped new bat Ajit Bohite plumb, and two deliveries after had Darshan caught by Surendra Bhave at first slip for his 100th wicket.Scoreboard
Maharashtra: (1st innings): 171
Baroda (1st innings): 151 for nine.
Maharashtra: (2nd innings, overnight 100 for three): Santosh Jedhe c Jacob b Kadri 35 ; Abhijeet Kale run out (Arothe) 61, Shantanu Sugvekar c Arothe b Kadri 0, Indrajit Kamtekar c Swaroop b Kadri 0, Sanjay Kondhalkar c Jacob b Kadri 4, Mandar Sane c Jacob b Wakaskar 49, Iqbal Siddique not out 24, Milind Kulkarni c Bohite b Mulherkar 6; Extras: (3b, 3lb, 3nb) 9.
TOTAL: (off 94.2 overs in 394 mins) 238.
Fall of wickets: 1-27; 2-45; 3-70; 4-126, 5-126, 6-126, 7-130, 8-202, 9-213, 10-238
Bowling: Arjun Chavada 19-4-55-1; Yogendra Wakaskar 28-9-62-1; Moiunddin Kadri 14-534-4 (2nb); R Swaroop 13-3-32-1; Darshan Mulherkar 15.2-5-31-1 (1nb); Tushar Arothe 5-2-18-1.
Baroda: (2nd innings): Moiunddin Kadri c Kondhalkar b Siddique 13, R Swaroop lbw Milind Kulkarni 8, Connor Williams c Jedhe b Kulkarni 8, Martin Jacob c Jedhe b Siddique 14, Atul Bedade c Kondhalkar b Siddique 9, Tushar Arothe b Siddique 5, Kiran More c Kale b Siddique 0, Ajit Bohite lbw Kulkarni 1, Darshan Mulherkar c Bhave b Kulkarni 4, Yogendra Wakaskar b Kulkarni 2, A Chavada not out 5; Extras: (1lb, 2nb) 3.
Total: (off 21.1 overs in 107 mins) 78.
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-28, 3-40, 4-55, 5-61, 6-61, 7-66, 8-70, 9-72, 10-78
Bowling: Milind Kulkarni 11-2-47-5, Iqbal Siddique 10.1-1-30-5
