Gujarat defeats Railways by 43 runs

: Gujarat defeated Railways by 43 runs via the VJD method to notch up its sixth straight win in Group 'C' in the Vijay Hazare Trophy cricket tournament here on Monday.

In the other games on a rain-hit day, Jammu & Kashmir beat Bihar by 65 runs (via the VJD method) while the match between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh was called off due to rain after 18 overs were bowled in Bengal's innings.

Railways elected to bat against Gujarat and could only post 231 in 49.2 overs as it frittered away a good start provided by openers Mrunal Devhar (50, 76 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) and Pratham Singh (76, 78 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) as Gujarat bowlers-spinners Piyush Chawla (4/46) and Axar Patel (2/50) and left-arm medium-pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla (3/46) kept struck at regular intervals.

In reply, Parthiv Patel (59, 66 balls, 7 fours) and Priyank Panchal (51, 69 balls, 2 fours) rattled up 109 before the former fell.

Panchal and Dhrul Raval added 18 more runs before rain came down and ended hopes of further play, leaving Gujarat victors by 43 runs.

Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, with six straight wins and 24 points each, top Group 'C'.

Brief scores: Madhya Pradesh 223 all out in 47.4 overs (Yash Dubey 106 (105 balls, 12 fours, 1 six, Naman Ojha 23, Manoj Tiwary 2/23) vs Bengal 83 for 2 in 18 overs (Shreevats Goswami 37 not out, Abhishek Kumar Raman 36).

No result.

MP: 2 points, Bengal: 2 points.

Railways 231 all out in 49.2 overs (Pratham Singh 76, Mrunal Devdhar 50, Vikrant Singh 39 not out, Piyush Chawla 4/46, A Nagwaswalla 3/46) lost to Gujarat 127 for 2 in 25.1 overs (Parthiv Patel 59, Priyank Panchal 51 not out) by 43 runs (VJD method).

Gujarat: 4 points, Railways: 0.

Jammu & Kashmir 326 for 6 in 50 overs (Shubham Khajuria 127 (121 balls, 4 fours, 7 sixes), Shubham Singh Pundir 87, Abdul Samad 50) beat Bihar 128 for 4 in 30.2 overs (Babul Kumar 41 not out, Parvez Rasool 3/22) by 65 runs (VJD method).

J&K: 4 points, Bihar: 0.