da gbg bet： Rajasthan took top position in the Central Zone Ranji Trophy league,after collecting five first innings points in a drawn encounter withVidarbha at the VCA ground in Nagpur on Sunday
Staff Reporter21-Jan-2001Rajasthan took top position in the Central Zone Ranji Trophy league,after collecting five first innings points in a drawn encounter withVidarbha at the VCA ground in Nagpur on Sunday. The highlight of thefinal day’s play was Vidarbha keeper Amit Deshpande’s second centuryof the match. Rajasthan finished with 23 points, two clear of secondplaced Railways. Vidarbha which lost their first three games, managedto avoid a barren slate with the three points that accrued from thecontest.Having already taken a 74 run first innings lead, Rajasthan enteredthe final day at 132/2 in their second knock. Opener Nikhil Doru,unbeaten on 54 overnight, fell for 71 to give off spinner PritamGandhe his third wicket. Medium pacer Abhijeet Piprode cut through themiddle order for three wickets, including that of skipper Gagan Khodafor just ten. AS Jain compiled a laborious 38 while Saket Bhatiastruck a brisk unbeaten 26. Rajasthan declared at 234/7, setting theiropponents a victory target of 309 in a minimum of 55 overs.After AS Manohar fell for six, Deshpande and Shailesh Harbade added156 for the second wicket, of which the latter’s contribution was 42.Deshpande marched to an unbeaten 156 (173 balls, 18 fours, 3 sixes) asVidarbha closed out the game at 220/2.