UP bowlers contain Services batsmen at 256/8 on Day One

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh bowlers continued their fine run in the Ranji Trophy this season, keeping Services in check on the first day of their four-day Elite Group C encounter in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Seamers Ankit Rajpoot and Shivam Mavi took three wickets each, whereas left-arm orthodox spinner Saurabh Kumar had two wickets as Services could score 256/8 in 90 in their first innings.

All six UP bowlers, including former captain Suresh Raina kept the Services batsmen under a tight check as they could score runs at the strike rate of 2.84 while batting first after winning the toss, at the Airforce Complex Ground in Palam.

Mavi finished at 3/44, whereas Rajpoot had 3/70. Kumar took 2/60. At one stage Services were 7/147 and a sudden collapse looked eminent, but an 88-run eighth wicket partnership between Devender Lohchab and Nitin Tanwar denied UP bowlers to dictate terms at the end of the first day’s play.

Devender remained unbeaten at 71, which came off 126 balls with the help of nine hits to the fence, whereas Nitin before being caught by stumper Upendra Yadav off Mavi, scored 91-ball 39, which contained five boundaries. Diwesh Gurdev Pathania (9) was giving company to Devender when the stumps were drawn on Tuesday evening.

It was slow start to Services as openers Aanshul Gupta (18) and

NK Singh (23) couldn’t go for big hits after stitching together 41-run for the first wicket. Ravi Chauhan (21), Rajat Paliwal (28) and Vikas Hathwala (36) were the other main run getters.

TANMAY HITS TON

Hyderabad: Tanmay Agarwal scored his seventh first-class hundred to guide Hyderabad to 232 for three against Delhi on the opening day of a Ranji Trophy Group B match here Tuesday.

Opener Tanmay batted the entire day and was unbeaten on 112 alongside Bavanaka Sandeep (24).