da bet vitoria： MRF were in a position of considerable strength when bad light stoppedplay about an hour before the scheduled close on the second day oftheir Buchi Babu all India invitation tournament pre-quarterfinalagainst All India Associate Banks at the MAC
Partab Ramchand21-Aug-2000MRF were in a position of considerable strength when bad light stoppedplay about an hour before the scheduled close on the second day oftheir Buchi Babu all India invitation tournament pre-quarterfinalagainst All India Associate Banks at the MAC stadium in Chennai onMonday.Resuming at 320 for five, MRF declared their first innings at 490 fornine. Associate Banks were 84 for three when play was first suspendedand then abandoned for the day.Tanveer Jabbar, 110 not out overnight, scored only four more runsbefore being dismissed. But N Gautam and the later order batsmenprolonged the bank team’s agony. Skipper M Senthilnathan, himself nomean batsman at one time, came in at No 8 and and scored 14, helpingGautam to add 27 runs for the seventh wicket. Then Gautam and Testleft arm spin bowler Venkatpathi Raju (21) were associated in aneighth wicket partnership of 49 runs off 11 overs. Finally, Gautam andZaheer Khan put a tired and dispirited attack to the sword by adding90 runs for the ninth wicket off 20.2 overs. Gautam, who batted ashade under three hours was then caught by Akhil off Sridhar for 83.He faced 121 balls and hit five fours and three sixes. Zaheer remainedunbeaten on 43, scored off 66 balls. He hit four fours and two sixes.The innings was declared when Gautam was out.If Associate Banks were to pose a serious challenge to MRF’s total, agood start was imperative. But they never got it. Opener CP Sahu (12)slipped while trying for a single and was run out by a direct hit fromKanitkar at point. Daniel Manohar and Devendra Bundela battled alongbut batting was generally a struggle. Finally Manohar who battedalmost two hours for 27, was caught by Raju off Gautam.Pankaj Dharmani decided a counter attack was the best method andquickly hit two boundaries. He then lifted the first ball off anAashish Kapoor over high into the stands on the pavilion terrace. Theformer Indian off spinner however kept him guessing for the rest ofthe over and then off the last ball had him edging a quicker one toMSK Prasad behind the stumps. Dharmani’s 17 came up off only 23 balls.Hardly had VST Naidu joined Bundela when the light worsened and theplayers came off. Bundela has so far batted 102 minutes and faced 62deliveries for his 12. It goes without saying that Associate Banksface a herculean task to overhaul the MRF total on the morrow.