da winzada777： Andhra managed to hold off Tamil Nadu’s desperate quest for the firstinnings lead, closing at 228/9 on the final day of their South ZoneRanji Trophy match at the Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai
Sankhya Krishnan25-Nov-2000Andhra managed to hold off Tamil Nadu’s desperate quest for the firstinnings lead, closing at 228/9 on the final day of their South ZoneRanji Trophy match at the Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai. Sincethe first innings of both teams was not completed, Tamil Nadu andAndhra had to be content with two points apiece. Incredibly if Andhrahad lost their last wicket, they would have been credited with anextra point! The result leaves Tamil Nadu at second place in the zonalstandings on 20 points, with one match left, while Andhra arecurrently placed fifth on 13 points.Resuming at 25 without loss, Andhra openers Prasad Reddy and AmitPathak were separated when Sadagopan Mahesh got one through thelatter’s defences with the score on 46. Tamil Nadu tightened theirgrip on the first innings lead when they took out three wickets at 88either side of the lunch interval. Five runs later, Gnaneswara Raodeserted his elder brother Venugopala Rao to leave Andhra at theperilous state of 93/5.Venugopala Rao and Faiz Ahmed now put up a sturdy fightback, adding109 for the sixth wicket and more importantly using up two and aquarter hours in the process. Faiz was run out for 51 (111 balls, 5fours) and eight overs later, at 214, Rao joined him in the dressingroom, having topscored with 59 (146 balls, 5 fours, 1 six). Withalmost nine overs left, Tamil Nadu needed just three more wickets. Legspinner Balaji Rao delivered the first of those, taking out Vatekarfor his third scalp and wicket keeper Reuben Paul’s fourth dismissal.But Andhra’s ninth wicket pair managed to hold out until the last ballof the last over of the day, bowled by Thiru Kumaran when Sahabuddinwas caught at point.