Delhi's controversy-ridden season took a turn for the worse when it slumped to a massive 141-run defeat against Himachal Pradesh in their third North Zone Ranji Trophy one-dayer in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Mithun Manhas returned to the helm today after DDCA President Arun Jaitely intervened to sort out the off-field problems that led to the debacle against Punjab, but the hosts were unable to put their act together.
Chasing a target of 249, the Delhi batsmen put up a pathetic display to be bundled out for 108 in 34.1 overs.
For the visitors, Sandeep Sharma (78), Sangram Singh (58) and Manvindra Bisla (54) helped the team put on a challenging score on the board.
Medium pacer Ishant Sharma was the most successful of the Delhi bowlers, claiming two wickets for 43 runs.
But the hosts made a mess of the run-chase as none of the batsmen could stay at the crease for long. Shikhar Dhawan was the highest scorer with 31 runs.
Left-arm spinner Vishal Bhatia was the pick of the Himachal bowlers, taking three wickets for 17 runs while Rahul Tanta, Vikramjit Malik and Ashok Thakur took two wickets each.
While the visitors got five points, including a bonus point, Delhi lost one point in the process and are now on four points.
In another one-sided affair, Punjab thrashed Jammu and Kashmir by 76 runs to keep their perfect record in the zonal competition intact.
Punjab tallied 327 for three in their allotted 50 overs with the help of captain Dinesh Mongia's 135-ball 159 containing 20 boundaries.
The skipper was ably supported by debutant Uday Kaul who scored 105 and the two added 258 for the second wicket in only 227 balls.
In reply, J-K never took up the challenge and finished on 251 for five, thereby handing Punjab a bonus point.
Kanwaljit Singh helped himself to a century (106) and added 105 for the sixth wicket with Inderjit Singh (35). They saved J-K further embarrassment after they were reduced to 146 for five.
Gagandeep Singh took two wickets for the victors while VRV Singh, Ishan Malhotra and Sandip Saval claimed a scalp each.
Punjab now have 13 points from three matches while J-K have minus 3 after three straight defeats.
In another match, Haryana got the better of Services by 43 runs. Electing to bat, Haryana scored 271 for 8 in 50 overs with contributions from Sumit Sharma (52) and Mahesh Rawat (66).
Services were all out for 228 in 45.4 overs. Notable scorers for the losing side were Yashpal Singh (75) and Amrinder Singh (32). Amit Mishra claimed three scalps for 32 runs.
Brief Scores:
Delhi vs Himachal Pradesh:
Himachal Pradesh 249 for 6 (Sandeep Sharma 78, Sangram Singh 58; Ishant Sharma 2-43) beat Delhi 108 all out in 34.1 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 31; Vishal Bhatia 3-17, Vikramjit Malik 2-33).
Punjab vs Jammu and Kashmir:
Punjab 327 for 3 (Dinesh Mongia 159, Uday Kaul 105)
Jammu and Kashmir 251 for 5 (Kawaljit Singh 106 not out, Inderjit Singh 35; Gagandeep Singh 2-41, V R V singh 1-35)
Haryana vs Services:
Haryana 271 for 8 (Sumit Sharma 52, Mahesh Rawat 66; N Singh 2-79)
Services 228 all out (Yashpal Singh 75 Amrinder singh 32, Amit Mishra 3-41).
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