Medium pacer Sachin Chaudhari's (7/52) sensational bowling effort guided Maharashtra to a nine-wicket win over Tripura in their Group C Ranji Trophy match here today.
Needing 63 to win in their second innings, Kedar Jadhav made a quick-fire 48 not out to take his home with just one wicket down after Chaudhari along with Shrikant Mundhe (3/62) wreaked havoc on the fourth and final day at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here.
Tripura wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale (109) made a valiant unbeaten century but could stop the hosts from collecting full six points. Takawale hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 203-ball stay at the crease but failed to find support from the other batsmen as Tripura kept losing wickets at regular intervals and folded at 218.
Takawale shared a 113-run stand with Rana Dutta (27) for the eighth wicket, raising hopes of bailing out the visitors. But Chaudhari trapped Dutta lbw and then polished off the tail to give his side an easy target to chase. Jadhav smashed 48 off just 25 balls including eight boundaries and two sixes while first innings double centurion Vijay Zol remained unbeaten on 13.
In another Group C match in Guwahati, Kerala got three points on the basis of first innings lead after their match against Assam ended in a draw. Resuming on 13 for no loss, Assam in their second innings were 217 for nine on the final day at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
Tarjinder Singh (46) and Sibsankar Roy (45) were the two best scorers for them. For Kerala, Vinoop Manoharan (3/66) and C Shahid (3/43) were the most successful bowlers. Riding on Sanju Samson's (211) marvellous double hundred, Kerala had gained a 39-run lead yesterday.
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