Orissa gain crucial lead

Fine bowling by off spinner Sanjay Satpathy and paceman Deepak Mangaraj enabled hosts Orissa to gain a crucial 60-run first innings lead against Madhya Pradesh on the third day of the Ranji trophy Plate division semi-final being played at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday.

Madhya Pradesh, who were well placed at 132 for two at close on Monday while chasing Orissa's first innings total of 318, failed to consolidate their position as Satpathy (four for 75) and Mangaraj (three for 61) ran through the side to bundle the visitors out for 258 runs in 99.5 overs.

Orissa then tightened their stranglehold over the match by making 110 for three with Rashmi Ranjan Parida making a  blazing 74 with 12 fours. The hosts are now 170 runs ahead with seven wickets standing.

As the match commenced this morning, Orissa struck when MP skipper Devendra Bundela (30) perished to a Satpathy delivery with Srikant Jena pouching the catch. Almost immediately, overnight batsman Naman Ojha was also sent back following a smart pick up and throw by Satpathy.

Wickets tumbled at regular intervals as MP slid to 177 and the culmination of the innings was in sight. But thanks to a fine knock of 71 by number six batsman Nikhil Patwardhan (172 minutes, nine fours) and his 44 run partnership with Sanjay Pandey (11) and 37 run stand with Narendra Hirwani (six not out) for the last wicket enabled the visitors to make 258.

Orissa's second innings, however, had a dismal start as opener B B C C Mohapatra was caught behind off the third  delivery he faced from medium pacer Sanjay Pandey with no runs on the board.

The other opener, Subrat Behera, was caught by Patwardhan off the bowling of first innings hero, leg spinner Yogesh Golwarkar after making 12.

But experienced Parida and skipper Sanjay Raul (16 not out) added 76 runs for the third wicket before Golwarkar claimed the former.

Parida hit a fine 74 with a dozen hits to the ropes off 145 balls. He was out just before the stumps when he was  caught by Bundela off the leg spinner.

Scoreboard:

Orissa 1st innings: 318

Madhya Pradesh 1st innings:
Muddasar Pasha c Parida b Satpathy 20
Naman Ojha run out 74
Sachin Dholpure c Parida b Raul 9
Devendra Bundella c Jena b Satpathy 30
Abbas Ali run out 13
Nikhil Patwardhan c Raul b Mangaraj 71
Brajesh Tomar c Singh b Mangaraj 7
Harvinder Sodhi c Singh b Mangaraj 0
Yogesh Golwarkar c Parida b Satpathy 0
Sanjay pandey c Mullick b Satpathy 11
Narendra hirwani not out 6

Extras: (b 2, lb 6, nb 8, w 1) 17

Total: (all out in 99.5 overs) 258

Fall of wickets: 1/51, 2/79, 3/148, 4/153, 5/166, 6/176, 7/176, 8/177, 9/221.

Bowling: Deepak Mangaraj 16.5-2-61-3, Debasis Mohanty 19-6-54-0, Pravanjan Mullick 3-1-9-0, Srikanta Jena 16-4-34-0, Sanjay Satpathy 32-6-75-4, Sanjay Raul 11-3-17-1, Niranjna Behera 2-2-0-0.

Orissa (2nd innings)
BBCC Mohapatra c Ojha b Pandey 0
Subrat Behera c Patwardhan b Golwarkar 12
R.R.Parida c Bundella b Golwarkar 74
Sanjay Raul not out 16

Extras: (nb 8) 8

Total: (for three wkts in 40.3 overs) 110

Fall of wickets: 1/0, 2/34, 3/110

Bowling: Sanjay Pandey 10-4-39-1, Harvinder Sodhi 3-1-8-0, Yogesh Golwarkar 13.3-3-31-2, Narendra Hirwani 8-2-20-0, Abbas Ali 5-2-12-0, Muddasar Pasha 1-1-0-0.