Duleep Trophy, 2007-08

[Mr. Wicket]

If they're going for youth, why is Mukund not in the SZ team?

[Mr. Wicket]

LOL Hari... great minds and all that... I see we both posted that at the same time...

[Guest HariSampath]

oh, they are surely for youth ( those youth from Shivalal yadav's household) :-)

[Chandan]

SZ collapsing against NZ and plenty of ducks there. That fellow has taken a 5fer and taken out prolific M Vijay ' date= Badrinath and Arjun Yadav for ducks !!

Oh yeah. And the reason for that is: North brace up for zonal challenge on lively track North Zone have the upper hand as they begin their title defence against a young South Zone in the first round of the Duleep Trophy from Saturday. The Ranji Trophy behind them, the players now turn to this zonal competition to showcase their talent. In the past, players expressed the need to have the Duleep Trophy soon after the Ranji Trophy as only then, their Ranji performances could be justly rewarded. Earlier, the Duleep Trophy was held either at the start of the season or in the middle. HP's gain With North deprived of the services of Pradeep Sangwan, who has been selected to the under-19 squad for next month's World Cup and Joginder Sharma, who is down with a heel injury, Himachal Pradesh's newball duo of Ashok Thakur and Vikramjeet Malik will spearhead the defending champions' attack. Similarly, Karnataka pacer R. Vinay Kumar (the second highest wickettaker in Ranji with 40 scalps) will hope to add to his reputation when he takes the new ball for South. Andhra's L.N.E Reddy (495 runs) and Vijay Kumar (21 wickets) will hope to carry on their form from the Ranji season. Delhi's stars Likewise, Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia, with 525 runs and 26 wickets, will hope to catch the selectors' eye with another impressive show. Same will be the case with Aakash Chopra and S. Badrinath, both of whom figure among the top three in the run getters' list in first class matches. The presence of live grass rolled well into the surface is a pleasant sight, particularly the bowlers. With the bounce promising to be good and the ball expected to have a good carry, the players are looking forward to a good contest. North Zone coach Vijay Dahiya, who guided Delhi to the Ranji Trophy triumph, said, "We wanted to play on result-oriented pitches, not the kinds that are only spin-friendly" North: M. Manhas (captain), A. Chopra, S. Dhawan, P. Dogra, R. Bhatia, Yashpal Singh, R. Inder Singh, V.S. Malik, A. Thakur, K. Goel, U. Kaul (wk), A. Mishra, C. Nanda, S. Rane, Charanjit Singh. South: S Badrinath (captain), M Vijay, D. Ravi Teja, L.N.P. Reddy, A. Yaday, R. Gomez, S. Asnodkar, T. Naidu (wk), N.C. Aiyappa, R.V. Kumar, D.K. Krishna, P.V. Kumar, R. Ashwin, P. Ojha and S. Anish. DULEEP FACTFILE *North Zone have won the trophy 16 times * West Zone have won it 16 times *South Zone have won 10 times * Central Zone have won it 5 times * East Zone have got the honour just once * West Zone and Central Zone have played 23 matches in the tournament. *West have won 11 games and Central have won 3 matches * North and South have played 23 matches against each other. *While North have won 8, South have won 7. ----------------------------------------------- With Badrinath faltering almost everytime on such lively tracks, my hopes for him is going down!

[MundaPakistani]

Seems like an excellent tournament with good competition.

[msb1991]

* East Zone have got the honour just once

And people wonder why their players are rarely selected for India.

[Mr. Wicket]

WZ 267/4, Yusuf on 72 off 40 balls.

[apocalypse]

damn 107...he was playing like T20 :D

[zub2006]

are there any highlights of y pathans innings

[zub2006]

seeing that r p singh is injured. india should clal up y pathan. he is a v good batsman plus he can bowl spin a bit. i think they will go for munaf patel though.

[Chandan]

ROUND ONE, DAY ONE January 26, 2008 West Zone 349 for 7 (Pathan 107, Kukreja 72, Rahane 50) v Central Zone Scorecard Vikramjeet Malik took five wickets as South Zone were bundled out for 157 © Cricinfo Ltd A whirlwind century from Yusuf Pathan took West Zone to a strong 349 for 7 at stumps on the first day against Central Zone in Rajkot. Opting to bat first, West were off to a confident start as the Mumbai pair of Ajinkya Rahane (50) and Sahil Kukreja (72) forged a 124-run partnership. Central then fought their way back into the match as Sanjib Sanyal removed both of them before Sanjay Bangar dismissed captain Parthiv Patel. Pathan walked in at the fall of the fourth wicket on 174 and blitzed a 66-ball 107 to give West the upper hand. He carted 13 boundaries and five sixes during his 88-minute stay and made all his runs in a 136-run stand with Chetheswar Pujara, who made a sedate 44. For Central, Bangar and Sanyal finished with three wickets each, but Sanyal was expensive conceding five runs an over. ******************* A more detailed report: Before the start of the Duleep Trophy match between West Zone and Central Zone at the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium, a reporter informed that the historical ground had been witness to some breathtaking cricket. True to tradition, spectators who braved the swirling conditions on Saturday witnessed something similar - or may be even better - from a man answering to the name of Yusuf Pathan. His 66-ball 107 smashed Mohammad Kaif and his boys to smithereens as West finished the first day at 349 for seven. Batting first after winning the toss, West slumped to 174-4 from a comfortable 112 for no loss at lunch. Skipper Parthiv Patel's team seemed to have frittered away the advantage after Mumbaikars Sahil Kukreja and Ajankya Rahane had given them a solid start. Even as panic gripped the West camp, Pathan was a picture of poise and a lofted six over deep mid-off off S.S. Sanyal started his blitzkrieg. What followed for the next 88 minutes was mayhem. The over-pitched deliveries were caressed through the ground, the good-length ones were lofted with consummate ease and those pitched short were pulled and hooked with great power. None of the Central bowlers escaped Pathan's punishment, the worst sufferers being medium-pacers Sumeet Mathur and Sanyal. After they were carted to all parts of the ground, Kaif introduced the wily Murali Kartik. But the going got even tougher as the left-arm spinner did not make much of a difference and Pathan smashed him for three boundaries and a six. Giving Pathan support at the other end was the calm Cheteshwar Pujara, who went on to make 44. Though not as aggressive as the former, the Ranji season's highest scorer grafted runs in his own way. Central's nightmare ended when Harshad Rawle took a well-judged catch off Sanyal to send the marauder back. But by then, West had already muscled their way back into the match. At stumps, Rakesh Dhruv (21) and Sandeep Jobanputra (4) were at the crease. For Central, Sanyal and Sanjay Banger took three wickets each. North Zone 104 for 5 (Chopra 37) trail South Zone 157 (Vinay Kumar 41*, Ravi Teja 41, Malik 5-44, Bhatia 4-13) by 53 runs Scorecard Fifteen wickets tumbled on a dramatic first day as North Zone seized the advantage in their encounter against South Zone in Ahmedabad. Medium-pacer Vikramjeet Malik tore through the top order while Delhi's Rajat Bhatia cleaned up the tail as South were bundled out for 157. After being put in to bat, South were off to a solid start with openers Ravi Teja (41) and Swapnil Asnodkar putting on 37, before Malik snared five wickets, including the big one of captain S Badrinath, in a five-over burst, to leave them tottering at 69 for 5. South lost three more quick wickets before a 68-run partnership between Vinay Kumar (41*) and Kalyankrishna (31) brought in a semblance of respectability to their scorecard. North's reply started with a 58-run opening stand before they had a collapse of their own: they lost four wickets for seven runs to Karnataka's duo of Vinay Kumar and NC Aiyappa and lost Bhatia shortly before the close to finish the day on 104 for 5. **************************************** A more detailed report: Duleep Trophy debutants Vikramjit Singh Malik and Rajat Bhatia shared nine wickets as North Zone dismissed South for 157 on the first day at the Sardar Patel Stadium (Motera) on Saturday. In reply, North were 104-5 after being 58 without loss at one stage. Malik, the 24-year-old medium-pacer from Himachal Pradesh, claimed his victims in the opening burst of nine overs, to finish with five for 44. Bhatia, 28, captured 4 for 13 to justify captain Mithun Manhas' decision to bowl first. On the green top, Malik and Bhatia stuck to bowling wicket-to-wicket with the Kookaburra ball. But that South openers Ravi Teja and Swapnil Asnodkar shared a 37-run stand was proof that the pitch was not a batsman's nightmare. And the face-saving 68-run ninth wicket partnership between Vinay Kumar (41 not out) and Kalyankrishna (31) proved beyond doubt that application could fetch runs. Asnodkar might have had a phenomenal season for Goa, amassing 568 runs at 113.60, but he fell short on Saturday, losing his middle stump to Malik. From 37 for no loss, South were 84 for eight in the space of 15 overs. Watching the procession at the other end was Teja, who stroked half-a-dozen fours in his 41 before falling prey to Thakur. It was then Bhatia's turn to get into the act and claim the remaining wickets. His victims included R. Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha. Playing some neat strokes, Vinay and Kalyan frustrated the North bowlers for almost two hours. South's innings ended 28 minutes before tea when Bhatia induced Kalyan to nick one behind and then yorked N.C. Aiyappa. North's reply was brisk with Aakash Chopra (37) and Shikhar Dhawan (23) raising 58 in 11.2 overs. But medium-pacer Aiyappa gave the breakthrough by getting Dhawan brilliantly caught by Teja. The defending champions then lost four wickets for seven runs in the gap of 23 deliveries - Karan Goel was caught at second slip for a first-ball duck, Chopra was trapped leg before by Vinay with one that straightened and captain Manhas fell to the same bowler. Yashpal Singh and Bhatia looked like playing it out before Bhatia drove Ojha straight to mid-wicket to become the left-arm spinner's first victim.

[Chandan]

ROUND ONE, DAY TWO Kaif keeps Central in the hunt Cricinfo staff January 27, 2008 Central Zone 237 for 5 (Kaif 96*, Rawat 40*) trail West Zone 411 (Pathan 107, Kukreja 72, Bangar 4-72, Sanyal 4-113) by 174 runs Scorecard Yashpal Singh's 97 helped North Zone gain a substantial first-innings lead © Getty Images Central Zone captain Mohammad Kaif compiled a patient, unbeaten 96 to lead his side's response to West Zone's imposing first-innings total of 411. Central ended the day on 235, still 174 runs in the arrears with five wickets in hand. As West resumed from their overnight 349 for 7, Sanjay Bangar struck in the first over of the day, trapping Rakesh Dhurv in front. Dhurv's Saurashtra team-mate Sandeep Jobanputra then carted eight boundaries on his way to a 57-ball 45 to boost West's total beyond 400. Bangar and Sanjib Sanyal were the wreckers-in-chief for Central, taking four wickets each. Central's reply got off to a poor start as Munaf Patel had Vineet Saxena caught behind for two. Jatin Saxena walked in and blasted nine boundaries in an express 46 before falling to Dhurv. There weren't any significant partnerships, as Central slid to a perilous 134 for 5, till Kaif was joined by wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat. The two put on an unbroken 103 runs to keep Central's hopes of taking the crucial first-innings lead alive. ************************ More detailed report: MOHAMMAD KAIF is not one of those batsmen who give bowlers nightmares by bludgeoning them to all parts of the ground. But what makes him stand out is his canny ability to improvise - often to such an extent that he'd frustrate the opposition by placing the ball into the gaps with alarming regularity. After Yusuf Pathan blazed his way to a 51-ball hundred the day before, it was Kaif's turn on Sunday to exhibit his own brand of cricket to the motley crowd at the Madhav Rao Scindia Stadium. His invaluable 96 runs helped Central Zone finish Day 2 at a respectable 237 for five in reply to West Zone's challenging 411 in their Duleep Trophy match. Kaif strode in after Siddharth Trivedi had Tanmay Srivastava offering a lolly to Cheteshwar Pujara at cover. It was a big blow as Srivastava had just scored a hundred in the Ranji Trophy final against Delhi, and a substantial contribution here might have helped Central finish the day with far more than what they have on the board now. Nevertheless, with two day remaining, it could still be anybody's game thanks to Kaif's act of bravado. With wickets falling around him, Kaif held his nerve and was a picture of concentration. The skipper ran hard, improvised and found the occasional boundary. Opportunities weren't many though with Munaf Patel leading the way for West. Coming back to competitive cricket after a hiatus, the lanky seamer bowled with purpose and managed to test the Central batsmen on a wicket that has nothing for them. He gave his team the breakthrough by removing Vineet Saxena with one that moved away after pitching. In his second spell, Munaf had Harshad Rawle caught behind in a similar fashion. Central were struggling at 91 for 4 and Sanjay Bangar's dismissal to left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhruve at 134 made it worse. Another wicket at that stage and the game might have taken a different shape. But fortunately, there were no hiccups thereafter as Kaif along with Mahesh Rawat stitched together a crucial 103-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Central have already avoided the follow-on and looming large on Monday is a century from Kaif. South Zone 157 and 95 for 2 (Vijay 24*, Badrinath 10*) trail North Zone 299 (Yashpal Singh 97, Vinay Kumar 4-87) by 47 runs Scorecard Yashpal Singh's 97 helped North Zone gain a 142-run first-innings lead and consolidate their advantage on the second day against South Zone in Ahmedabad. In reply, South had reached 95 for 2 by stumps with the Tamil Nadu pair of captain S Badrinath and M Vijay at the crease. Resuming from 104 for 5, the overnight batsmen, Yashpal and wicketkeeper Uday Kaul (33), guided North to 165 before Vinay Kumar dismissed Kaul. With North six wickets down and only seven runs ahead, South were in with a chance to restrict the lead to a manageable amount. Yashpal, however, stitched together two more useful partnerships - 46 with Sachin Rana for the seventh wicket, and 47 with Amit Mishra for the eighth wicket - before becoming Vinay Kumar's fourth victim. Mishra was the last man out but not before he had thrown his bat around to make a 56-ball 47 to keep the pressure on South. ******************** (A more detailed report of the day's play:) G. Krishnan (from Ahmedabad) HOLDERS NORTH Zone have almost shut South Zone out of the game by taking a 142-run first innings lead. Having lost their first five wickets on Saturday for only 104, North seemed to be under pressure when the two overnight batsmen took guard on Sunday. But middle-order batsman Yashpal Singh from Services took the responsibility on his shoulders to help North post 299 in reply to South's paltry 157. At stumps on the second day of this Duleep Trophy tie, South were 95 for two in their second dig, the Tamil Nadu pair of Murali Vijay and captain S. Badrinath still keen to make amends for their first innings ducks. The right-handed batsman, Yashpal, missed out on a century by just three runs. But importantly for his team, he built fruitful partnerships with the lower order. Yashpal, who walked in at 60 for three on Saturday, was the eighth wicket to fall. He fell to South's most successful bowler, R Vinay Kumar, who took four for 87 to add to his rich haul of 40 for Karnataka this season. Resuming on 24, Yashpal and the left-handed wicket-keeper batsman Uday Kaul ensured that North overhaul South's score without further casualty. They did it comfortably as the South bowlers proved ineffective during the morning session. Only one wicket fell in the first session, that of Kaul for 33 (77b, 3x4). He was caught behind off a Vinay delivery. South were unlucky to lose 'keeper Thilak Naidu due to finger injury in the morning session. Naidu might not bat again. Meanwhile, Kaul helped Yashpal add 71 for the sixth wicket. Yashpal looked solid, never giving bowlers even half a chance. He danced down the pitch to left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, depositing him straight into the sightscreen. South bowling, especially the spinners, lacked bite. Ojha, who is rated very highly, looked unimpressive. Even off-spinner R Ashwin was less than ordinary. With the tail holding on, Yashpal batted freely. With Rana (28, 54b, 3x4, 1x6), he added 46 for the seventh, and put on 47 more for the eighth with Amit Mishra (47, 56b, 7x4, 1x6). Yashpal's five-hour long vigil finally ended when he was caught at gully off Vinay. South's miseries didn't end there. The last wicket duo of Mishra and left-handed Ashok Thakur yielded 36. South Zone's second innings were off to an inauspicious start. D Ravi Teja fell to a rash shot. Swapnil Asnodkar and Vijay then added 54 runs for the second wicket before the former fell for 37. ---------------------------------------- Did anyone watch the match live? How did Munaf bowl? Any comments about his fitness?

[The Outsider]

Kaif/Badrinath need to be brought into the test side ahead of Yuvraj for the South Africa series. Yuseless poster boy should do what these guys are doing - hard yards in domestic cricket.

[Guest Hiten.]

kaif 141*

[Chandan]

North wins the match vs South by 8 wickets. This was a match which got over in just seven sessions! On the other hand, Central has conceded a lead of 27 runs despite Kaif's 160. And West is again well placed at 51 for no loss at tea. Update: West Zone lead by 126 runs with 10 wickets remaining at the end of third day's play.

[Chandan]

ROUND ONE, DAY THREE West take control despite Kaif's 160 Cricinfo staff January 28, 2008 West Zone 411 and 99 for 0 (Rahane 53*, Kukreja 40*) lead Central Zone 384 (Kaif 160, Rawat 48, Dhurv 4-84) by 126 runs Scorecard Kaif's 160 wasn't enough to get Central the first-innings lead © Cricinfo Ltd West Zone won a close battle for the first-innings lead despite a career-best 160 by Central Zone captain Mohammad Kaif, before their openers proceeded to press home the advantage with an unbeaten 99-run stand. Resuming at 237 for 5, in response to West Zone's 411, it was always going to be a battle between Kaif and the bowlers. Kaif added 64 to his overnight score, but ran out of partners pretty soon. He was the ninth man to get out, with Central still 49 short. He had partnerships going with lower-order batsmen: 134 with overnight partner Mahesh Rawat, 51 with Sanjib Sanyal and 38 with Murali Kartik, but they lost wickets at crucial junctures, falling short by 27 runs. Left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhurv took two of the wickets that fell today to finish with figures of 4 for 84. Munaf Patel added Sudeep Tyagi's wicket to his overnight haul of two wickets. Ajinkya Rahane and Sahil Kukreja, the Mumbai openers, repeated their solid first-innings performance to frustrate the Central bowlers and virtually bat them out of the contest. Rahane scored his second half-century of the match, while Kukreja closed in on his second. *********** Despite Kaif, ith advantage West MOHAMMAD KAIF issued another reminder to the national selectors by scripting yet another innings of great character But despite the Central Zone skipper's marathon 160, West Zone held the strings at stumps on the third day of the Duleep Trophy encounter at the Madhav Rao Scindia Stadium on Monday On a wicket bereft of pace and bounce, an outright win seemed an unlikely proposition from the second day itself. As it turned out, the two teams were engaged in a battle for points by the third afternoon. For all his heroics, Kaif will have to be content with a point, unless there is a miracle. A miracle that probably, may never happen, considering that Sahil Kukreja and Ajinkya Rahane helped West to 99 for no loss in their second innings after gaining a slender 27-run lead. Resuming at 237 for five with Kaif four short of a century and Mahesh Rawat unbeaten on 40, Central could muster 384, thanks to Kaif 's priceless 160, in reply to West's 411. Trailing by 174, Kaif and Rawat began on a cautious note and seemed determined to cross West's challenging total. But a brilliant reflex effort at second slip by Yusuf Pathan brought an end to the Kaif-Rawat stand as Sandeep Jobanputra opened his account. The duo's 134-run partnership rescued Central. Apart from his own batting, what stood out was Kaif 's ability to string together partnerships with the bottom half. After Rawat's dismissal, the senior pro joined hands with S.S. Sanyal in putting together a half-century stand for the seventh wicket. But just like Rawat, Sanyal got out when Central began to harbour hopes of going beyond West's total. Murali Kartik did bother West for a brief while but left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv ensured that Kartik's effort remained a cameo. Bowling a tight line, Dhruv accounted for four Central batsmen. North Zone 299 (Yashpal Singh 97, Vinay Kumar 4-87) and 72 for 2 beat South Zone 157 (Vinay Kumar 41*, Malik 5-44, Bhatia 4-13) and 211 (Vijay 39, Mishra 4-51, Bhatia 2-39) by 8 wickets Scorecard North Zone turned in another solid bowling performance to dismiss South Zone for 211 in the second innings, before knocking off the required 70 runs to get off to a great start in the Duleep Trophy. South resumed on the third day at 95 for 2, having fallen behind by 142 in the first innings, and Amit Mishra, with 4 for 51, made sure North wouldn't have to chase a steep target. The South Zone batsmen got starts, but nobody went on to compile a meaningful score, with M Vijay top scoring with 39. D Kalyankrishna stayed unbeaten on 31, to add to his first-innings resistance that also yielded 31 runs. Vikramjeet Malik and Rajat Bhatia chipped in with two wickets each. North missed out on the bonus point, as they lost Aakash Chopra and Sachin Rana before they could reach the target. *********************************** Spineless batting spells South doom A second successive poor batting display by South Zone gave North an easy eight-wicket win with a day to spare in the opening round of the Duleep Trophy at the Motera stadium on Monday Though South's 211 was 54 runs better than their first innings effort, their specialist batsmen failed once again. Having wiped out the deficit of 142, South set North a target of 70, which the defending champions achieved for the loss of two wickets. It was first-class cricket at its worst on a good surface. South succumbed to the disciplined bowling from North, for whom left-spinner Amit Mishra was the most successful with four for 51. Resuming Day III at 2-95, M. Vijay and S. Badrinath resisted for a little over 30 minutes for an additional 26 runs before the latter was trapped leg before by Vikramjit Malik. Like in the first innings, another procession followed. It was the last wicket partnership between D. Kalyankrishna and N.C. Aiyappa that delayed the end. The pair added 55 before Aiyappa steered medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia into Aakash Chopra's hands at first slip. Capable of taking the game into the fourth day, Vijay and Badrinath fell to irresponsible shots. Arjun Yadav was a culprit too, dismissed for nought by Bhatia. Shuffling their batting order: North sent the left-handed Karan Goel to open with Chopra, who nicked Aiyappa but part-time wicketkeeper Swapnil Asnodkar floored the offering. Aiyappa finally had his man when he trapped him leg before. After onedown Sachin Rana fell to Kalyankrishna, first innings top scorer Yashpal Singh saw North collect five points, slamming three quick boundaries in an unbeaten 13. Goel remained undefeated on 23. South next take on East at the Wankhede Stadium from February 3. North's are up against East at Vadodara from February 11.

[Chandan]

Match between West and Central is drawn with West taking 3 points for the first innings lead while Central gets one point for saving the match. Parthiv Patel scored a fighting 74 runs in the 2nd inning after Rahane scored 89 runs. Pujara failed in this inning, scoring just 11. Medium pacer S Mathur took 5 wickets.

[The Outsider]

Disappointing to see Kartik going wicketless on a last day track, but looking at the scorecard doesn't look like a typical last day track. Spinners hardly seemed to have made any incisions. I guess another flat pitch which never broke up.

[Mr. Wicket]

Good match for Rahane, just wish he'd start turning these fifties into hundreds.

[Chandan]

ROUND ONE, DAY FOUR West take first-innings points in tame draw Cricinfo staff January 29, 2008 West Zone 411 (Pathan 107, Bangar 4-72) and 335 for 7 (Rahane 89, Mathur 5-63) drew with Central Zone 384 (Kaif 160, Dhurv 4-84) Scorecard The final day in Rajkot witnessed a tame draw as West Zone opted to bat out the whole day and edge ahead of Central Zone on the basis of first-innings points. Ajinkya Rahane missed his ton by 11 runs, captain Parthiv Patel scored a half-century and the lower order managed some batting practice before Patel called time on the innings with the score at 335 for 7. West lost opener Sahil Kukreja with no addition to their overnight score of 99 before Patel and Rahane added 98 for the second wicket. Rahane compiled a patient 89 off 202 balls before falling leg before to seamer Sanjib Sanyal, while Patel helped himself to 74. The middle order however missed out as seamer Sumit Mathur took four wickets in quick succession to set West back at 248 for 7. Ramesh Powar and Sandeep Jobanputra scored unbeaten 40s and ensured no further loss of wickets before the declaration. Mathur finished with figures of 5 for 63. Central will take on England Lions in Vadodara on February 3 while West have an extended break before their next tie, also against the Lions, starting February 11. ********************************** Mathur's Fiver in drawn match A DRAW was a forgone conclusion after both West and Central Zone piled up massive first innings totals in their Duleep Trophy match here at the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium. On a dead wicket - the ball rarely rose above knee height and with the Central attack bordering on mediocrity, West who had taken the crucial first innings lead, gained some batting practice ahead of their next match. Tuesday was an inconsequential day as far as the match was concerned, but for Ajinkya Rahane, Parthiv Patel and Sumit Mathur in particularly, it was a fruitful day. The three walked away with individual honours, with Rahane and Parthiv striking strokeful half-centuries and Mathur snaring five West wickets, including that of Parthiv Patel. The meaningless proceedings came to an end around 3.20 p.m. when both teams felt they had had enough and agreed to call it off with Ramesh Powar just three short of his half-century and Sandeep Jobanputra unbeaten on 40. Even as bowlers of both teams struggled throughout the match, Mathur dished out a lion-hearted performance on a featherbed of a wicket on the final afternoon. Central got an early breakthrough courtesy Mathur He got Kukreja to edge one to Mohammad Kaif at first slip as early as in the first over of the day. After a disappointing outing in the first innings, Parthiv signalled his arrival at the crease with a flurry of boundaries. A delicate cut through backward point, a majestic drive on the off and a few flicks off the pads, and Parthiv was back at his dominating best. A century was on the cards but an act of indiscretion on part of the West skipper did him in. The bowler on that occasion was again Mathur