Saurashtra on brink of defeat, 74/5 in 2nd Innings after follow on

Rajkot, Nov 5 (UNI) Saurashtra were on the brink of defeat as the hosts were tottering at 74 for five in their second innings after following on in reply to Gujarat's first innings total 581 for six, declared on the penultimate day of the four-day super league match at the Madhav Rao Scindia Ground here today.

Saurarashtra, resuming their first innings over night score of eight for four, were all out for 153 shortly after lunch. They were at 74 for five in second innings after Gujarat enforced the follow on.

Gujarat Bowlers did extremely good job for the team as hosts had no answer against seamers and spinners but collapse in both the innings like a pack of card.

Under-19 world cup hero Ravindra Jadjea played some sensible innings amid the ruins in the first innings and had score 48 before he gave a simple catch to Ashraf Makda off Timil Patel, while Night watchman Sandeep Maniar chipped in with 42 and Pratik Mehta made 28 before their first innings folded up at 153 runs.

Medium pacer Sidhharth Trivedi ripped through the Saurashtra batting line up, claiming five wickets for 44, while Right arm leg spinner Timil Patel took three wickets for 32 runs in the first essay.

The hosts failed to build up the score in the second innings too as top five batsmen were sent back to the pavilion at the score of 74. Now hosts were on the threshold of a humiliating innings defeat in the opening match.

Medium pacer Ashraf Makda gave first breakthrough in the second innings as opener Sagar Jogiani was caught by wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel at an individual score of 21. K Waghela and Ravindra Jadeja were trying to build up the score and added 26 runs for the second wicket before the latter was brilliantly caught by Bhavik Thakkar off Mohanish Parmar.

The spinner again struck in the next ball and send back the tripple centurian of C K Nayudu Trophy Cheteshwar Pujara for a duck.

Saurashtra were reeling at 52 for three when they suffered another blow as Sitanshu Kotak was caught at third slip by Sunny Patel off Siddharth Trivedi. He has made 11 after facing 72 balls when the score was reading 73 for four. One run later, the hosts skipper Jaydev Shah was caught by A Singh off Mohanish Parmar.

Saurashtra's skipper scored one in each innings.

At stumps, Kanya Waghela and S Maniar were batting with 17 and no score respectively.

Brief score : Gujarat (lst Innings) 581 for six (declared).

Saurashtra (Ist Innings) 153 for all out in 59.4 overs.

(S Maniar 42, P Mehta 28, Ravindra Jadeja 48, S Trivedi five for 44, M Parmar one for 26, A Singh one for 30 and Timil Patel three for 32).

Saurashtra (2nd Innings) 74 for five in 37 overs (K Waghela not out 17, S Jogiani 21, Ravindra Jadeja 22, S Trivedi one for 18, A Makda one for 31 and M Parmar three for six.) UNI AV RN RKM BST1955