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Vohra, Bhat restrict Karnataka

Sports Reporter

Sankalp Vohra (centre) celebrates with his teamates after scalping Stuart Binny.

Mysore: Sankalp Vohra and Bhargav Bhat claimed seven wickets between them as Baroda dismissed Karnataka for a mediocre 257 in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group ‘B' match that commenced at the Gangotri Glades Ground here on Wednesday.

On a pitch that offered good bounce initially but appeared benign otherwise, the host saw more than one batsman succumb to poor shot-selection. Tottering, at one stage, at 149 for seven, only a fine 72-run-stand between Sunil Joshi and C.M. Gautam spared the team, total embarrassment.

Good start

Karnataka, put in, enjoyed one of its better starts this season as openers K.B. Pawan and Robin Uthappa showed no signs of discomfort in the first hour of play. The latter began in typically belligerent fashion, striking Murtuza Vahora back over his head for six before pulling Gagandeep Singh over the midwicket boundary in the very next over.

Uthappa scored two more fours off Singh's bowling before deftly cutting left-arm spinner Bhargav to the third-man fence to bring up his half-century. However Bhat, Baroda's leading wicket-taker this season, delivered his side the foothold it so desperately sought in the match, trapping Uthappa leg before for 53 (78b, 4x5, 6x2) as he attempted an ill-advised sweep.

Pandey fails

Ganesh Satish followed him only seven balls later, held behind the wicket when he prodded at a Sankalp Vohra delivery. The in-form Manish Pandey too left cheaply, before lunch, attempting to hit Bhat over the infield and holing out to mid-on. Three wickets had fallen in less than seven overs, for the addition of only eight to the score.

After the break, the home side's blip turned into a procession, as Sankalp prised out Amit Verma and Stuart Binny in a space of six overs, with opener Pawan dismissed by Murtuza Vahora in-between.

Gautam played delightfully for his 57 (90b, 4x8), displaying restraint yet merciless with anything too full or short. Sunil Joshi too batted well but perished attempting a wild hoick off Vohra. The host's hopes now rest on its excellent bowling attack to deliver a first-innings lead on Thursday.

The scores:

Karnataka – 1st innings: K.B. Pawan c Shah b Murtuza 37, Robin Uthappa lbw b Bhat 53, Ganesh Satish c Shah b Sankalp 1, Manish Pandey c Murtuza b Bhat 4, Amit Verma b Sankalp 8, Stuart Binny c Shah b Sankalp 6, C.M. Gautam c Shah b Bhat 57, Vinay Kumar lbw b Panchal 12, Sunil Joshi c Deodhar b Sankalp 43, A. Mithun c Shah b Murtuza 22, S. Arvind (not out) 4, Extras (b-1, lb-6, nb-1, w-2): 10. Total (in 88.1 overs) 257.

Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-74, 3-81, 4-107, 5-107, 6-128, 7-149, 8-221, 9-248.

Baroda bowling: Murtuza Vahora 24.1-6-64-2, Sankalp Vohra 22-5-65-4, Gagandeep Singh 16-2-57-0, Bhargav Bhat 21-4-45-3, Ketan Panchal 5-1-19-1 .

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