da betano casino： A fluent hundred by Sridharan Sriram and able supporting roles by YuvrajSingh and Mohd.Kaif lifted National Cricket Academy to a position ofstrength at the end of the first day of the MRF-Buchi Babu tournament finalin Chennai today
da gbg bet： Sankhya Krishnan01-Sep-2000S Sriram
© CricInfo LtdA fluent hundred by Sridharan Sriram and able supporting roles by YuvrajSingh and Mohd.Kaif lifted National Cricket Academy to a position ofstrength at the end of the first day of the MRF-Buchi Babu tournament finalin Chennai today. Squaring off against Oil and Natural Gas Corporation on agood batting track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, NCA closed at 360/6 in 95overs. Sriram was the main protagonist in this run glut on a familiarhunting ground for him, making full amends for some indifferent form inearlier games.In the morning, NCA won the toss and chose to take first strike, sportingthe same XI that outplayed Indian Airlines in the semifinals. ONGC made onechange replacing the disappointing Feroze Ghyas with fellow seamer SandeepSharma and also installed Gagan Khoda as skipper in place of GautamVadehra. Shiv Sunder Das, who’d made 94 and 184 in his first two innings inthis tournament, missed out this time. In the tenth over of the day, heshouldered arms to a Bhandari breakback and was adjudged leg before for 14.Yuvraj Singh, fresh from a rollicking century in his last game, looked tobe carrying off in the same vein. In typical fashion, he stroked his firstdelivery wide of mid off for four.Meeting the ball off the middle straightaway, Yuvraj picked Sharma for twomore fours, each timed to a nicety, in the next over. Khoda decided tobring on offspinner Virender Shewag in the 14th over of the innings andYuvraj’s retort was swift as he smote the bowler straight down the ground,into the first tier of the stands, for the biggest hit of the day. RahulSanghvi, who took seven wickets in the semifinal win over New ZealandAcademy, now appeared in the attack. Sriram had a letoff at this point whenwicketkeeper Dogra failed to collect a sharp chance as the batsman reachedtentatively outside off stump.Sriram never looked back from this point, making his intentions singularlyclear by striking three consecutive boundaries off the hapless Shewag.Yuvraj had perceptibly dropped anchor, content to loaf around at the wicketand concede the centre stage to Sriram. The Tamil Nadu opener reached his50 off 79 balls, and Yuvraj followed suit off 58 balls shortly beforelunch. NCA went into lunch at 149/1 off 37 overs, looking good to reach 450before the day was out at the rate they were going.At 175, Yuvraj playing well away from his body to the persistent Bhandari,got an inside edge to Dogra. His 71 had consumed 87 balls and thepartnership with Sriram had terminated on 149. Mohd. Kaif looked aspolished and dapper as ever in his strokemaking. Although generally a verycorrect batsman, he was impudent enough to hoist Shewag into the stands atmidwicket, the ball clearing the barbed wire fence and causing a slightstoppage in play. A Kaif straight drive brought up the 200 and shortlyafter, Sriram posted his individual 100 off the 147th ball he faced -Shewag bowling a full toss on leg which the batsman just helped on its wayto the fineleg boundary. The fielding went ragged under the swelteringmidday heat, several misfields abounding.At tea, NCA were 253/2 from 63 overs, and while the run rate had dropped,it was still a magnificent springboard for the middle order. Shortly afterthe break, Sriram (130, 189 balls, 20 fours) tried to sweep a ball fine butit lobbed up and the keeper held it on his second attempt. Delhi lefthanderGautam Gambhir square drove his first delivery through the covers for fourand he was looking good for many more, showing fine touch and alwayslooking to get a move on. Having made 27, he stepped out to Shewag butdidn’t get fully to the pitch of the ball and drove it straight back to thebowler.Reetinder Sodhi wended his way to the crease at 305/4 and although thePunjab allrounder had made 71 in the semifinal, suggesting he’d turned thecorner after three previous scores of 0, 0 and 1 for NCA, it was a falsedawn. A lofted drive off Sanghvi failed to clear Rizwan Shamshad at midoffand it was curtains for the NCA skipper. Keeper Rohit Jhalani rode hisluck, being dropped by Sanghvi at fineleg off Shewag after topedging anintended sweep. Next ball, with first slip standing a shade too wide,Jhalani streaked the ball through the gap for a boundary.With five balls left in the day, the new ball was belatedly summoned for byskipper Khoda, 15 overs behind schedule, and Bhandari knocked out Jhalani’soff stump as the batsman went for an airy drive. Kaif, who’d been warnedearlier for running onto the wicket, was still unconquered on 81 (151balls, 8 fours, 1 six) and on him rest NCA’s hopes of putting this contestbeyond the reach of their opponents tomorrow.
