Timely Tiwary keeps Bengal ahead
Monday, 29 December 2008
Bengal put in a big-hearted performance in the field in the first session to secure a crucial first-innings lead in their quarter-final against Tamil Nadu at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Tamil Nadu came back strongly with quick, early wickets, but Bengal - with their openers absent ill - batted long enough to make sure they didn't squander the advantage.
Manoj Tiwary provided the inspirational breakthrough with the ball and the Tamil Nadu batsmen also obliged the fielders by playing foolishly. They were left with half an hour less than five sessions to try and reverse the result, but Tiwary and Laxmi Shukla kept their bowlers at bay. Tiwary fell to a sweep off R Ashwin, but Shukla stayed unbeaten at stumps.
All the crucial action, though, was concentrated in the first session, which started with a foolish run-out of Ashwin. Tamil Nadu started the day 157 short, with five wickets in hand, and Ashwin hit a boundary to midwicket to kickstart their pursuit. In the same over though, he flicked one towards midwicket and chose to run the third on the throw. The return came in accurately, first-bounce and right over the stumps, Ashwin proving he was not the fastest runner going around.
A streaky partnership between Suresh Kumar, 40 overnight, and C Ganapathy followed. Unlike the previous batsmen, they didn't let the scoring stagnate for long periods. The partnership did feature a few edged boundaries: three went either wide of slip or past gully. Interspersed with well-timed shots, the stand started taking Tamil Nadu close. The pace bowlers had tired by then, and the new ball was seven overs away.
That was a crucial period of play when Tiwary and Ritam Kundu, the off-break bowler, bowled together. Tiwary produced the magic delivery to break the partnership, sneaking in a topspinner after having ripped a couple of legbreaks. Suresh got a faint inside edge onto the pad, which flew to slip. He scored 75, yet again missing the elusive maiden century and after a 64-run partnership, Tamil Nadu were still 87 short.
The next eight minutes featured extreme panic. Ganapathy stepped out to defend a delivery from Kundu and missed the straighter one, to be stumped by miles. In the next over, L Balaji hit one delivery towards mid-on and Tiwary - trying to field it - ran into non-striker C Suresh, appearing to push him. The batsmen still went for the singles, Ashok Dinda hit the middle stump at the striker's end, and Tamil Nadu had lost three wickets at the same score. It felt as if Tamil Nadu allowed Bengal's hustle in the field to push them around.
Bengal 345 and 134 for 4 (Shukla 43*, Tiwary 42) lead Tamil Nadu 306 (SS Kumar 75, Balaji 47, Mukund 47, Karthik 46) by 173 runs. — Cricinfo
Manoj Tiwary provided the inspirational breakthrough with the ball and the Tamil Nadu batsmen also obliged the fielders by playing foolishly. They were left with half an hour less than five sessions to try and reverse the result, but Tiwary and Laxmi Shukla kept their bowlers at bay. Tiwary fell to a sweep off R Ashwin, but Shukla stayed unbeaten at stumps.
All the crucial action, though, was concentrated in the first session, which started with a foolish run-out of Ashwin. Tamil Nadu started the day 157 short, with five wickets in hand, and Ashwin hit a boundary to midwicket to kickstart their pursuit. In the same over though, he flicked one towards midwicket and chose to run the third on the throw. The return came in accurately, first-bounce and right over the stumps, Ashwin proving he was not the fastest runner going around.
A streaky partnership between Suresh Kumar, 40 overnight, and C Ganapathy followed. Unlike the previous batsmen, they didn't let the scoring stagnate for long periods. The partnership did feature a few edged boundaries: three went either wide of slip or past gully. Interspersed with well-timed shots, the stand started taking Tamil Nadu close. The pace bowlers had tired by then, and the new ball was seven overs away.
That was a crucial period of play when Tiwary and Ritam Kundu, the off-break bowler, bowled together. Tiwary produced the magic delivery to break the partnership, sneaking in a topspinner after having ripped a couple of legbreaks. Suresh got a faint inside edge onto the pad, which flew to slip. He scored 75, yet again missing the elusive maiden century and after a 64-run partnership, Tamil Nadu were still 87 short.
The next eight minutes featured extreme panic. Ganapathy stepped out to defend a delivery from Kundu and missed the straighter one, to be stumped by miles. In the next over, L Balaji hit one delivery towards mid-on and Tiwary - trying to field it - ran into non-striker C Suresh, appearing to push him. The batsmen still went for the singles, Ashok Dinda hit the middle stump at the striker's end, and Tamil Nadu had lost three wickets at the same score. It felt as if Tamil Nadu allowed Bengal's hustle in the field to push them around.
Bengal 345 and 134 for 4 (Shukla 43*, Tiwary 42) lead Tamil Nadu 306 (SS Kumar 75, Balaji 47, Mukund 47, Karthik 46) by 173 runs. — Cricinfo