MAJUMDAR KEEPS BENGAL IN THE HUNT

Rajkot: Bengal’s ‘Man Friday’ Anustup Majumdar stood between Saurashtra and Ranji Trophy with a defiant unbeaten

58 as the summit clash entered a tantalising final day with the visitors needing 72 runs more. Bengal ended the fourth day at

354 for six as Majumdar added

91 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket stand with Arnab Nandi (28 batting, 82 balls), who showed a lot of courage despite getting hit on the finger by Jaydev Unadkat delivery. Majumdar, who had bailed Bengal out of a precarious position in the quarter as well as semifinal, was the saviour again and got much needed support from Nandi as the duo batted out the entire evening session to keep the match evenly poised going into day five. The home team was guilty of poor fielding and allowing easy runs to Bengal in the final session where 90 runs were scored. Harvik Desai at first slip dropped a regulation catch of Majumdar, who was on 10 at that time, and it proved to be a costly miss. On Day Four, Bengal won the morning and evening session while Saurashtra stayed in the game by taking three wickets in the afternoon. By day three, it had become clear that final will be decided by the first innings lead and both teams were locked in a fierce battle. Resuming the day at 134 for 3, Sudip Chatterrjee and Wriddhiman Saha kept Bengal’s fight going with a 101-run partnership, consuming 49 overs in the process. They frustrated Saurashtra in the wicket-less morning session, scoring 89 runs in 29 overs. With the odd ball keeping low, the predictable ploy was to target the stumps and bring the ball back in, which Saurashtra pacers managed to do both with the old and the second new ball. Chatterjee, who resumed the day on 47, was solid in defence.

Brief scores: Saurashtra 425 vs Bengal 354 for 6 in 147 overs (S.D. Chatterjee 81, M. Tiwary

35, W. Saha 64, A. Majumdar batting 58, A. Nandi batting 28, Chetan Sakariya 1/52, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 2/106, Prerak Mankad 2/45, Chirag Jani

1/32).