State women drub Gujarat

Hosts BSB won their opening league encounter in Group A beating Gujarat 37-17. The winners led 15-10 at the break.

The other match, played in the evening, was between Maharashtra and Bihar in the women’s Group B section. Maharashtra won with relative ease at 51-23 after leading 36-7 at the break.

BSB were given a fright initially by the lighter and hence agile Gujarat players for whom turning on the rain-soaked pitch proved easy. The earned a slender three-point lead, but once Dinesh Prabhu and Honappa raided successfully to earn two and three points, respectively.

BSB never looked back though they never seemed to have asserted their supremacy. The defending champions shifted a gear after the break as the lithe and wiry Honappa with his nimble-footwork foxed his opponents and claimed three victims in one raid.

As the lead widened the Gujarat side accepted defeat, their body language indicating that. Sanjay Desle and Tushar Arothe, both of whom did the early catching, were left to fight it on their own by their other colleagues.

Maharashtra carried too many guns for Bihar and heavy-weight Bhakti Kulkarni, with her 110 kg frame, was a constant threat to the opponents who lacked the requisite physique.

Supporting Bhakti were Veena Khawale and Anuradha Dongaonkar both of whom raided and plundered points at will.