GUWAHATI, Feb 8 � Assam took a vital 78-run first innings lead against Kerala in their Ranji Trophy Group C match as in reply to Assam�s first innings total of 344, the host team was all out for 266.
At the end of the penultimate day of the four-day encounter at the Conor Vayal Stadium, Tellicherry, Kannur today, Assam were 26 for no loss in their second innings. Pallav Das and Kunal Saikia were at the crease with 15 and 11 respectively.
Resuming their second innings at the overnight total of 52 for four, Kerala rode on Amit Verma�s 142 to reach a respectable total. His fifth wicket partnership with skipper Sachin Baby (32) resulted 89 runs and that was the biggest partnership in their innings. Verma stayed at the crease for long 353 minutes and faced 263 deliveries. He struck 19 boundaries and four sixes in his classic knock.
Apart from Verma and Sachin other Kerala batsmen miserably failed to contribute to their total.
Pacer Pritom Das and spinner Syed Mohammad came out with four and three wickets respectively while star bowler Sarupam Purkayastha (total 36) and Arup Das chipped in one wicket each.
SCORECARD
Assam 1st innings: 344
Kerala 1st innings: (overnight 52/4) N Surendran c Saikia b Arup Das 21, RM Fernandez lbw b Pritom Das 0, SV Samson c Syed Mohammad b Pritom Das 17, Amit Verma c Pallav Das b Syed Mohammad 142 , KS Monish c Syed Mohammad b Pritom Das 0, Sachin Baby run out 32, PR Prem c Tarjinder Singh b Sarupam Purkayastha 8, Salman Nizar c & b Syed Mohammad 12, RV Gomez b Syed Mohammad 4, PU Anthaf b PL Das 1, Basil Thampi not out 8. Extras: (b 6, lb 3, w 1, nb 11) 21; Total: (all out; 97.1 overs) 266. Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-41, 3-41, 4-46, 5-135, 6-154, 7-181, 8-205, 9-218, 10-266. Bowling: Arup Das 22-10-47-1, Pritom Das 24-5-74-4, Pallav Das 2-0-9-0, Sarupam Purkayastha 29-11-60-1, Sib Sankar Roy 3-2-6-0, J Syed Mohammad 15.1-3-56-3, Gokul Sharma 2-1-5-0.
Assam 2nd innings: Pallav Das not out 15, KN Saikia not out 11. Extras: 0; Total: (0 wickets; 10 overs) 26. Bowling: PU Anthaf 3-1-11-0, Basil Thampi 4-1-6-0, RV Gomez 2-0-8-0, KS Monish 1-0-1-0.
