Rohit, Samarth, Saurabh hit tons

Rohit Rayudu, Samarth Vyas and Saurabh Tiwary cracked centuries as each of Monday’s matches in the Vijay Hazare Group ‘D’ one-dayers threw up performers here.

Rohit smashed a run-aball 130 embellished with 11 boundaries and three sixes to lead Hyderabad to 312 against Jammu & Kashmir at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. B. Sandeep played second fiddle stroking 72 in 74 balls. In reply, J&K were all out for 163 to lose by 149 runs.

Opener Samarth was the star of the day. He smashed 114 not out in just 66 balls with the help of 12 boundaries and eight sixes as Saurashtra chased down the Services total of 176 in 21.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.

Skipper Cheteshwar Pujara gave fine support to Samarth at the other end with a 39-ball 45 not out (3x4, 3x6) as the duo stitched an unbroken 143run partnership after Saurashtra lost two wickets inside eight overs.

The partnership came off just 86 balls to give a huge boost to their net run-rate (0.854) as Saurashtra (0.854) jumped past Hyderabad (-0.197) to third place despite both having 12 points each.

Saurashtra now take on leaders Vidarbha (16 points) in their crucial final group league match on Wednesday.

Earlier left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja returned with figures of 4/26, while pace duo of Jaydev Unadkat and Shaurya Sanandia claimed two wickets each as Services failed to get going after winning the toss. Opener Soumik Chatterjee was the topscorer with 52.

Chhattisgarh moved to second place in the standings with a seven-wicket win over Jharkhand. Saurabh Tiwary hit a 105ball 107 (8x4, 3x6) as Jharkhand scored 288/9 after being put in. But Tiwary’s effort went in vain as Chhattisgarh came up with a solid batting show to chase down the target with four overs to spare.

Three Chhattisgarh batsmen came up with halfcenturies — Amandeep Khare (76), Shashank Chandraker (61) and Manoj Singh (54 not out) — as they romped home without any fuss.