CHENNAI, Jan 23: The ending became anti-climactic like the films churned out by the chefs of Bollywood. In fact, the Deodhar Trophy match between East Zone and West Zone at MAC Stadium on Friday was shaping up to a thriller. Sairaj Bahutule, who was banished to Pakistan with the India `A' team than being allowed to spin the ball against the Aussies here, put all doubts to rest by spanking a boundary off Saurav Ganguly in the penultimate over and then again square drove Robin Morris in the third ball when West Zone required just two runs for victory.West Zone won by four wickets and three balls to spare in the match, which was played for the benefit of former TN opener C S Suresh Kumar.
East seemed to have the match in their pocket at the end of 40th over. But they messed it up gloriously with their bowlers showing little imagination and failing to bowl to their field.
It was the day of left-handers, who lighted up the stadium with their distinct pyrotechnics. If Vinod Kambli (117, 187m, 126b, 2x6, 7x4)and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (55, 61m, 47b, 2x6, 4x4) played superbly and won the game for their side, Saurav's brilliant century (116, 152m, 114b, 4x6, 8x4) only helped his team post a formidable total but ended up on the losing front because of the peccadilloes of lesser men.
In the beginning Saurav was subdued and circumspect, watching Devang Gandhi (39, 1x6, 6x4's) taking the limelight. He was hit over his right wrist by an Iqbal Siddiqui delivery and spent time in the pavilion nursing it. He came back at the fall of the second wicket a transformed man, taking the bowling attack by its scruff.
SCOREBOARD
East Zone: Devang Gandhi b N Kulkarni 39, Saurav Ganguly b Mhambrey 116, Nikhil Haldipur c Mongia b Mhambrey 13, Rohan Gavaskar c Martin b Kanitkar 9, Syed Saba Karim c Mongia b Bahutule 29, Sanjay Raul lbw Bahutule 2, Tariq-ur-Rehman c Nilesh Kulkarni b Paras Mhambrey 14, Utpal Chatterjee lbw Paras Mhambrey 3, Robin Morris (not out) 28, Subrata Bannerjee c Sairaj Bahutule b Nilesh Kulkarni12, Jaya Chandra (not out) 1. Extras: (lb-10, w-9, nb-3) 22. Total: (9 wkts, 50 overs) 288
Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-71, 3-107, 4-176, 5-180, 6-228, 7-243, 8-250, 9-285.
Bowling: Mhambrey 10-0-43-4, Siddiqui 5-0-32-0, Agarkar 9-0-64-0, N Kulkarni 4-0-37-2, Kanitkar 9-0-37-1, Bahutule 7-0-42-2, Sutar 6-0-23-0West Zone: Jatin Paranjpe c Chatterjee b Morris 15, Rajesh Sutar c Karim b Ganguly 24, Vinod Kambli run out 117, Jacob Martin run out 14, Hrishikesh Kanitkar b Raul 55, Nayan Mongia b Chatterjee 34, Sairaj Bahutule not out 15, Ajit Agarkar not out 2; Extras: (lb2, w12, nb1) 15. Total: (6 wickets, 49.3 overs) 291
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-52, 3-109, 4-201, 5-265, 6-278
Bowling: Banerjee 5-0-34-0, Morris 8.3-0-41-1, Ganguly 7-0-46-1, Chandra 5-0-24-0, Chatterjee 9-0-58-1, Raul 7-0-40-1, Gandhi 8-0-46-0
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
