Vidarbha manage to avert innings defeat

Vidarbha just about managed to stave off an innings defeat on the final day of their Central Zone under-22 match against Uttar Pradesh at Kamla Club, Kanpur on Sunday. In arrears by 143 runs on the first innings, Vidarbha were 120 for nine when stumps were drawn.

Put in to bat on Friday, Vidarbha were dismissed for 127 runs in 63.3 overs. At one stage, they were 75 for one, thanks to a second wicket partnership of 61 off 27.2 overs between Faiz Fazal (31) and A Janbandhan (45). But then S Pandey (4 for 24) and V Pandey (4 for 25) brought about a sharp collapse and the last nine wickets fell for 52 runs. UP replied with 270 for eight declared. Openers Ashraf Ali (38) and Anshul Kapoor (61) put on 58 runs. Then Kapoor and Javed Anwar (80) consolidated by adding 71 runs for the fourth wicket off 89 balls. A sixth wicket partnership of 83 runs between Anwar and Arvind Solanki (59) helped UP take a commanding lead. Anwar faced 102 balls and hit nine fours. On the final day, Vidarbha were helped by the bad weather (about 300 minutes were totally lost because of this factor) but were still in danger of defeat when the eighth wicket fell at 67. The No 10 batsman Rupesh Shaikh hit a breezy 25 off 29 balls and took the score to 105 with the No 8 batsman Anirudh Pathradkar. Then Pathradkar (15) and Atul Waghmare (3) held on for 13.4 overs to ensure that Vidarbha got three points. UP finished with five.