Anupam Sanklecha finished with 12 wickets – his last four innings earning him 26 scalps © PTI
Maharashtra beat Assam by an innings and 52 runs as their pacers Anupam Sanklecha and Mohsin Sayyed, and spinner Satyajeet Bachhav picked up the last four wickets before lunch to give them seven points in Chennai.
Assam started the day on 115 for 6, still trailing Maharashtra by 171. Overnight batsmen KB Arun Karthik and Swarupam Purkayastha added 83 more runs before the latter was dismissed on 69 (off 57 balls) by Bachhav’s spin. Sayyad then got tailender Abu Nechim Ahmed next over for a duck and five overs later also dismissed Arup Das. Sanklecha, who took eight wickets in the first innings, fittingly picked up the last wicket – his 12th in the match and 26th in two games – as Assam were all out for 234 while Karthik remained not out – stranded on 87. The win was Maharashtra’s second-consecutive Ranji win and put them back in contention for the quarter final spot.
Earlier in the match, tons from Kedar Jadhav and Chirag Khurana took Maharashtra to 542 before Sanklecha ran through Assam’s batting. His eight wickets in Assam’s first innings, gave them a 286 run lead.
Delhi survived a final day collapse before they reached 153 to beat Rajasthan by two wickets in Wayanad.
They started the day on 51 for 3, needing 102 runs more to win. But overnight batsman Vikas Tokas was bowled by Pankaj Singh ten runs later, before Shikhar Dhawan – who is pushing for a return to the Indian Test team – was out on 49. Delhi were at 76 for 5 at this stage, still needing another 77. But Nitish Rana (31), added 24 runs with Milind Kumar and another 37 with Sumit Narwal, before being run out. Narwal then batted with the tail to take Delhi to victory, remaining not out on 27.
Rajasthan’s Amitkumar Gautam, playing his second first-class match, was adjudged Player of the Match. He scored 106 in the first innings to notch up his maiden first-class ton.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo