Test discard Vinod Kambli (batting 81) and Amol Muzumdar (85) came up with impressive knocks as Mumbai scored 300 for seven in their first innings on the second day of the 'Elite' Group 'A' Ranji Trophy match against Kerala in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Replying to Kerala's first innings score of 165 all out, the hosts were in some spot of bother at 67 for three before Muzumdar and Bhavin Thakkar (34 off 108 balls) steadied the rocking boat with a 75-run fourth-wicket stand off 30 overs.

Mazumdar and left-hander Kambli then consolidated the team's position with 114-run stand off 24.3 overs and 113 minutes.

First to go in the morning was Wasim Jaffer (21 off 82 balls), who fished outside the off-stump only to be caught by wicketkeeper C M Deepak off Prashant Chandran, who went on to finish with five wickets for 53 runs.

Night-watchman and skipper Sairaj Bahutule was the next to go, when he was caught by Hemanth Kumar at mid-off off Chandran for 29 off 100 balls. Then Thakkar and Muzumdar came good before the former was caught and bowled by Chandran.

Muzumdar was run out for 85, which came in 251 minutes and had eight fours.

Ramesh Powar hung in for some time before being caught by Sony Cheruvathore at mid-on off Chandran for 21 and then Robin Morris became Chandran's fifth victim when his edge was snapped up by skipper Sunil Oasis for no score.

Bad light forced the umpires to call off play with still three overs to be bowled.

Scoreboard

Kerala (Ist innings): 165 all out.

Mumbai (1^st innings): (overnight 15 for one):
V Mane c M C Deepak b S Cheruvathore 0
W Jaffer  c Deepak b P Chandran 21
S Bahutule  c Hemant b P Chandran 29
B Thakkar c&b P Chandran 34
A Muzumdar run out 85
V Kambli batting 81
R Powar c Sony c&b P Chandran 21
R Morris c S Oasis b P Chandran 0

Extras: (nb-26, b-2, w-1) 29

Total: (For 7 wkts off 96.3 overs) 300

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-57, 3-67, 4-142, 5-256, 6-296, 7-300.

Bowling: S Cheruvathore 28-7-65-1, T Yohannan 19-0-92-0, P Chandran 20.3-7-53-5, S Oasis 10-2-20-0, K N Ananthapadmanaban 15-1-55-0, S Nair 4-0-13-0.

Photograph: Deepak Salvi