A dogged century by number nine batsman S Rana helped Haryana post a respectable 260 against Baroda on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' cricket league match in Sirsa on Friday.

Rana struck a 142-ball 121, which was filled with 13 fours and a six, to lift the hosts from the doldrums of 105 for 8, adding 101 runs for the 10th wicket with last-man G Vashisht.

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Vashisht remained unbeaten on 26, from 102 balls, inclusive of three fours.

Rana then returned to strike a crucial blow by removing Baroda opening batsman I Sindhi for one.

At stumps on day one, the visitors were six for one with Connor Williams (1) and P Shah (4) at the crease.

Earlier, Zaheer Khan [Images] (3-45) and Rakesh Patel (3-64) ploughed through the Haryana top order.

The hosts were four down for 28 in the 14th over before Shafiq Khan (23) and P Sahu (34) led a brief recovery.

Romesh Pawar provided the breakthrough by breaching the defence of Khan.

After Yusuf Pathan accounted for Joginder Sharma, Patel and Khan returned to scalp two more wickets.

Rana then came to the rescue of the hosts.

Scorecard:

Haryana (1st innings):
Chetan Sharma c Martin b Khan 11
B Bist c YK Pathan b Khan 3
Sunny Singh c Powar b Patel 0
S Verma c Shah b Patel 4
Shafiq Khan b Pawar 23
P Sahu run out (Sindhi) 34
Joginder Sharma c Pawar b YK Pathan 3
M Rawat lbw b Patel 8
S Rana c Sindhi b Khan 121
A Mishra c Sindhi b Pawar 12
G Vashisht not out 26
Extras: (b 4, lb 5, nb 6) 15
Total: (all out, 84.3 overs, 360 mins) 260

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-16, 3-16, 4-28, 5-57, 6-60, 7-80, 8-105, 9-159, 10-260.

Bowling: Khan 18.3-7-45-3 (1nb), Patel 23-2-64-3 (5nb), YK Pathan 22-2-84-1, Pawar 21-5-58-2

Baroda (1st innings):
I Sindhi b Rana 1
CC Williams not out 1
P Shah not out 4
Extras: 0
Total: (1 wicket, 3 overs) 6

To bat: RB Patel, RK Solanki, KR Powar, AP Bhoite, RV Pawar, YK Pathan, JJ Martin, Z Khan.

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Sindhi, 1.1 ov).

Bowling: Joginder Sharma 2-0-6-0, Rana 1-1-0-1