The Hindu : Badani, Dharmani raise Elite-C's hopes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 11, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

Badani, Dharmani raise Elite-C's hopes

By Our Sports Reporter

KOCHI APRIL 10. Captain Shiv Sunder Das had wanted to make a mark in the Duleep Trophy decider here.

The former India star was nearly desperate to be among the big runs and to be considered in the national scheme of things all over again.

But another former international Hemang Badani, playing his first match of the five-team league championship, stole the thunder from his Elite-C skipper on the opening day of the four-dayer against Plate-B at the Nehru Stadium on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Tamil Nadu left-hander compiled a chanceless unbeaten 99 (193 balls, 2x6, 10x4) and figured in an unbroken 183-run fourth wicket stand with Punjab's Pankaj Dharmani (72 batting, 231 balls, 8x4) which helped Elite-C to a strong 273 for three in its first innings today.

Shiv Sunder Das began the day just as he had wished. He won the toss and opted to bat on a lovely batting track.

But he lasted only 22 balls and made just nine, falling to Venkatesh Prasad.

There was a 69-run second wicket stand between S. Parab (44 off 50 balls, 5x4) and Yere Goud but veteran leggie Narendra Hirwani, who has been walking away with a bagful in virtually every match, removed the two in a space of just five of his deliveries (20th and 22nd overs) in the morning.

But just when Hirwani, the leading wicket-taker in the current Duleep Trophy with 30 wickets, threatened to do further damage, Badani and Dharmani steadied the boat with a sensible stand.

The partnership could prove crucial for Elite-C, for the Nehru Stadium wicket has a tendency to favour spinners heavily on the third day.

The scores:

Elite-C — 1st innings: S. Parab c Sreekumar Nair b Narendra Hirwani 44, Shiv Sunder Das c Sujith Somasunder b Venkatesh Prasad 9, Yere Goud c Hemanth Kumar b Hirwani 34, Hemang Badani batting 99, Pankaj Dharmani batting 72, Extras (b-4, lb-1, nb-10) 15, Total (for three wickets, 90 overs) 273.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-84, 3-90.

Plate-B bowling: Venkatesh Prasad 7-2-15-1, S. Sreeshanth 5-0-29-0, Devendra Bundela 7-0-22-0, Sreekumar Nair 23-5-63-0, Narendra Hirwani 27-2-81-2, Rakesh Dhruv 19-4-48-0, Hemanth Kumar 2-0-10-0.

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