Suresh Kumar helps
South take lead
Helped by a five-wicket haul by Suresh Kumar, South Zone dismissed Central for 193 to take a
48-run first innings lead on the penultimate day of the Duleep
Trophy match in Jaipur on Thursday.
South, who had made 241 in their first knock, were at 99
for two in their second innings at close of play, which gave them an
overall lead of 147 runs.
South Zone opener S Sriram, who scored a century in the first
innings, seemed to carry on from where he had left and was
unbeaten on 57 when stumps were drawn for the day.
Arjun Yadav was giving him company on eight.
Sriram wasted no time and went on the offensive right
from the word go. He raced to his half-century off 58 balls in
63 minutes with the help of seven exquisite boundaries.
His knock somewhat made up for the poor showing of
M S K Prasad (6) and Nand Kishore (19), who were dismissed
cheaply.
Earlier, it was mainly because of the efforts of Suresh
Kumar (5/54) and H Watekar (3/51) that South were able to send
the Central batsmen packing cheaply.
A resolute knock of 67 by in-form Jyoti Yadav was hardly
enough to salvage the Central innings as the rest of the
batsmen struggled on a turning wicket.
South Zone have 11 points from three matches and are
expected to go all out for an an outright victory on Friday, which could give them the second place in the competition.
Yesterday's report
Sriram hits ton as Kanwat scalps five
Mail Cricket Editor
