Central pile agony on West

Central Zone continued to pile on the agony on West as they reached 532 for seven in the first innings on the second day of the Duleep Trophy league match at the Devilal Cricket Stadium in Gurgaon on Sunday.

Overnight centurion Gagan Khoda (156) departed after adding only 11 runs to his score but Devendra Bundela (72), J P Yadav (80) and Vineet Saxena (69 not out) stroked valuable half centuries.

Rakesh Patel (2-107) gave West the crucial breakthrough when he bowled Khoda to end the Central skipper's third wicket partnership of 108-runs with Bundela.

But Central, resuming at 277 for two with Khoda on 145 and Bundela on 44, flourished with the help of efficient stroke-making from its seasoned middle order batsmen and some butter fingered fielding by the opposition.

Nilesh Kulkarni was a second time offender when he dropped Saxena on 30. He had repreived Khoda, then on 51, yesterday. Seamer Rakesh Patel was the unlucky bowler on both the occasions.

Vinayak Mane at slip too was guilty of grassing Bundela although the batsman was dismissed, bowled by legspinner and captain Sairaj Bahutule, seven runs later.

Yadav's 80, that came of 194 balls aided by seven fours and two sixes, made up for the early dismissal of veteran Gyanendra Pandey (12) and was part of the 68-run stand for
the seventh wicket with Saxena.

Bahutule finished with three for 111 while Kulkarni chipped in with two for 102.

Scoreboard - Day 2

Central Zone 1st innings
S Bangar b R Patel                            3
G Khoda b R Patel                           156
R Prakash c Mane b Bahutule                  73
D Bundela b Bahutule                         72
J P Yadav c Martin b Bahutule                80
G Pandey b Kulkarni                          12
V Saxena not out                             69
A Deshpande c Kanitkar b Kulkarni            18
Harvinder Singh not out                      24

Extras (b-12, lb-9, nb-4)                    25
Total (for 7 wickets, in 184 overs)         532

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-186, 3-294, 4-336, 5-370, 6-438,
7-479.

Bowling: Munaf Patel 28-5-71-0, Rakesh Patel 36-6-107-2,
Nilesh Kulkarni 40-6-102-2, Sairaj Bahutule 40-10-111-3,
Ramesh Powar 35-5-107-0, Hrishikesh Kanitkar 5-0-13-0.