Match tethers in suspense

VADODARA, Dec 2: Wwether Mumbai get six runs to clinch the first innings' lead or Vadodara get a wicket first to prevent it is the reason w...

VADODARA, Dec 2: Wwether Mumbai get six runs to clinch the first innings8217; lead or Vadodara get a wicket first to prevent it is the reason why both teams will lose sleep over on the third night of the West Zone Ranji Trophy match.

Fortunes fluctuated wildly at the IPCL ground on Tuesday after which Mumbai finished at 377 for nine, six runs short of crossing Vadodara8217;s 382.

They began the day by losing nightwatchman Paras Mhambray for naught, but Jatin Paranjpe, overnight 41, and Vinod Kambli put on 81 runs for the fifth wicket to guide their team to a position of relative comfort.

After Kambli went for 39, Paranjpe continued the good work with Amol Majumdar, adding another 72 for the sixth wicket.

Paranjpe8217;s patient 135 came to an end when R Swaroop took a brilliant diving catch off his own bowling to give Vadodara a vital breakthrough. Paranjpe hit nine fours and a six while facing 292 balls.

Still, it was only when left arm spinner Darshan Mulherkar scalped Majumdar with Mumbai still needing 61 runs, with three wickets in hand, to take the lead that they first looked to be in trouble.

However, Ajit Agarkar and Sairaj Bahutule put on 40 runs for the eighth wicket to take Mumbai almost to the threshold of clinching the vital lead and the match again seemed to be tilting Mumbai8217;s way.

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It was Swaroop again who succeeded in deceiving Agarkar, who in trying to block a turner edged to Valmik Buch in the slips. Now Mumbai needed 21 runs and had two wickets in hand.

SCOREBOARD

Vadodara first innings: 382

Mumbai 1st innings: Wasim Jaffar c Bhoite b Swaroop 27, Sulakshan Kulkarni c Parab b Mulherkar 39, Jatin Paranjpe camp;b Swaroop 135, Sanjay Manjrekar c Martin b Arothe 16, Paras Mhambray run out 0, Vinod Kambli c Martin b Sukhbir Singh 39, Amol Majumdar camp;b Mulherkar 43, Ajit Agarkar c Buch b Swaroop 31, Sairaj Bahutule not out 33, Rajesh Pawar c Darshan Mulherkar b Tushar Arothe 1, Santosh Saxena not out 0.

Extras: nb8, w2, lb2, b1 13.

Total: for 9 wickets 377.

Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-95, 3-126, 4-145, 5-226, 6-298, 7-322, 8-362, 9-367.

Bowling: Darshan Mulherkar 27-4-84-2, Sukhbir Singh 22-5-38-1, Arjun Chawda 10-2-29-0, R Swaroop 53-9-122-3, Tushar Arothe 35-3-101-2.