Medium pacer Ranadeb Bose did the star turn with the ball before Devang Gandhi smashed an unbeaten 98 to power Bengal to a thumping seven-wicket victory over Railways in the quarter finals of the Ranji Inter State One-Day knock-out tournament in Mumbai on Sunday.
Bose picked up four wickets for 33 runs to help Bengal skittle the newly crowned Ranji Trophy champions for a modest 214 in 48.2 overs at the Brabourne Stadium.
Bengal, given a sound start by a solid 66 from opener Sanjib Sanyal (8 boundaries, one six in 91 balls) and one-down Gandhi who put on 98 runs for the second wicket.
After the departure of Sanyal -- who also bagged two wickets -- Gandhi whose 117-ball knock contained 9 boundaries and 3 sixes, and Gavaskar put Bengal firmly on the saddle with a stand of 62 runs for the third wicket.
Earlier, opener Shankar Rao struck a breezy 50 off only 43 balls with ten fours after Railways were put in to bat by Bengal.
Jai Prakash Yadav made 46 while Railways skipper Sanjay Bangar and Raja Ali reached 30s and fell. Railways lost wickets at regular intervals before folding up with eight balls remaining.
Bengal, who had finished runners-up to Mumbai last season in the tournament which earned them a bye into the quarters, would meet Tamil Nadu, winners by 30 runs over Baroda in another quarter-final, in the semi final on April 12.
Scoreboard:
Railways:
G Shankar Rao b Bose 50
A Pagnis c Tiwari b Bose 2
T P Singh c (sub) Mazumdar b Sanyal 3
J P Yadav c Gavaskar b Lahiri 46
S Bangar b S S Singh 30
Raja Ali run out 31
S Khanolkar c (sub) Mazumdar b S S Singh 0
S Wankhede c Gavaskar b Bose 14
Harvinder Singh c (sub) Tabir Ali b Bose 14
K Parida b Sanyal 4
Madan Yadav not out 4
Extras (lb 6, nb 3, w 7) 16
Total (all out in 48.2 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-54, 3-68, 4-137, 5-159, 6-159, 7-183, 8-193, 9-208.
Bowling: S S Paul 10-0-61-0, Bose 10-3-33-4, Sanyal 6.2-0-32-2, Lahiri 10-1-35-1, S S Singh 10-3-39-2, Gavaskar 2-0-8-0.
Bengal:
S Sanyal c Parida b Rao 66
S Das c Wankhede b Harvinder Singh 8
D Gandhi not out 98
R Gavaskar c and b J P Yadav 30
L R Shukla not out 6
Extras (b 1, lb 4, w 6) 11
Total (for 3 wkts in 46.4 overs) 219
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-115, 3-187.
Bowling: J P Yadav 9.4-2-36-1, Harvinder Singh 6-0-38-1, Madan Yadav 10-0-55-0, Bangar 5-0-20-0, Parida 10-1-33-0, Rao 6-0-32-0.
