JP Yadav unbeaten 58, Railways 218/5 on day one against MP

New Delhi, Nov 23 (UNI) Team India discard and veteran of many a domestic battle JP Yadav hit a cultured unbeaten 58 as Railways finished day one of their Ranji Trophy Plate Group A match against Madhya Pradesh on 218 for five in 73.12 overs here today.

JP Yadav was batting on 58 off 136 balls with the help of six boundaries and two sixes and giving him company was Suresh Manjrekar (24).

Put into bat by visiting captain Raja Ali on a wicket that had plenty to offer to the seamers, Railways openers Sanjay Bangar (37) and Amit Pagnis (20) began well but had trouble in negotiating the sprightly T Sudhindra.

Sudhindra eventually castled Pagnis and then removed TP Singh (9) caught behind before his pace colleague Sunil Dholepure returned Suresh Khanolkar (16) to reduce the hosts to 75 for three.

Sudhindra came back to deal a body blow by inducing Bangar to perish caught behind but that brought in JP Yadav and the allrounder, along with Raja Ali (26), stemmed the rot before Anand Rajan removed the later and the Railways score read 144 for five at that stage.

JP and Manjrekar then steadied the ship and played every delivery according to its merit.

JP's was a chanceless knock and on two occasions, he slog-swept Yogesh Golwalkar to send the spinner over the ropes.

Scoreboard: Railways first innings: Sanjay Bangar c Naman Ojha b T Sudhindra 37 Amit Pagnis b T Sudhindra 20 TP Singh c Naman Ojha b T Sudhindra 9 Suresh Khanolkar c M Mishra b Sunil Dholpure 16 JP Yadav not out 58 Raja Ali c Naman Ojha b Anand Rajan 26 Sushant Manjrekar not out 24 Extras (B-5, LB-5, NB-13, W-5) 28 Total (For five wickets in 73.1 overs) 218 Fall of wickets: 1/24 2/38 3/75 4/93 5/144 Bowling: T Sudhindra 26.1-7-52-3 Anand Rajan 20-1-75-1 Sunil Dholpure 17-6-39-1 Yogesh Golwalkar 6-0-26-0 Devendra Bundela 3-0-10-0 Abbas Ali 1-0-6-0 UNI AY SAM DB1821