Eyeing an outright win in its season-opener against Delhi, Bengal displayed a united effort to increase its stranglehold on the Ranji Trophy Group-C match at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground here on Tuesday.
Resuming from 304 for three, the home side finished with a formidable 429 to secure a sizeable 189-run lead. Keen to avoid defeat, Delhi was at 101 for three in its second innings at stumps on day three.
Bengal’s overnight centurion pair of Sudip Gharami and Abishek Porel witnessed an early end to their association as Delhi promptly took the new ball. Gharami (133, 235b, 19x4), dropped off Navdeep Saini in the 84th over, was adjudged lbw to the disciplined Divij Mehra in the next over. It broke a 229-run partnership that lasted 283 minutes.
Porel (149, 228b, 17x4, 1x6) then formed a 56-run stand with Sumanta Gupta (50, 62b, 5x4), who played fine shots on either side, before being caught at forward short-leg off Hrithik Shokeen. Gupta departed in similar fashion off Ayush Badoni and Pradipta Pramanik fell cheaply.
The Bengal innings folded in the second over after lunch as Badoni, hitting good areas and extracting turn, dismissed tail-enders Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar to record his second five-for.
Pushed to the back foot, Delhi lost Sarthak Ranjan early with Akash uprooting the middle stump. Yash Dhull, hit on his chest in the next delivery, was retired hurt. The southpaw duo of Sanat Sangwan and Ayush Doseja showed character as it consumed time and collected 36 runs in 23 overs.
Even on a slow and eased out track, Shami used the crease beautifully and tested the batters with some movement. Mukesh, who broke the left-handers’ defiant association with a delivery that kissed Doseja’s gloves, and Akash provided good support.
Left-arm spinner Pramanik castled Sangwan when one of his deliveries spun from the rough.
The scores:
Delhi — 1st innings: 240.
Bengal — 1st innings: Abhimanyu Easwaran c Rawat b Mehra 34, Ankur Paul c Doseja b Saini 17, Sudip Gharami lbw b Mehra 133, Sudip Chatterjee c Rawat b Badoni 2, Abishek Porel c Sangwan b Shokeen 149, Sumanta Gupta c Sangwan b Badoni 50, Aamir Gani (not out) 11, Pradipta Pramanik c Sangwan b Saini 5, Akash Deep c Dhull b Badoni 1, Mohammed Shami c Ranjan b Badoni 0, Mukesh Kumar c Shokeen b Badoni 0; Extras (b-14, lb-12, w-1): 27; Total (in 112 overs): 429.
Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-84, 3-105, 4-334, 5-390, 6-417, 7-422, 8-425, 9-425.
Delhi bowling: Mehra 17-4-45-2, Simarjeet 17-0-74-0, Saini 20-4-81-2, Shokeen 26-0-115-1, Badoni 18-3-43-5, Doseja 4-1-8-0, Lakra 10-0-37-0.
Delhi — 2nd innings: Sarthak Ranjan b Akash 3, Sanat Sangwan b Pramanik 25, Yash Dhull (retd. hurt) 0, Ayush Doseja c sub (Gandhi) b Mukesh 19, Ayush Badoni (batting) 24, Anuj Rawat (batting) 25; Extras (b-2, lb-3): 5; Total (for three wkts. in 45 overs): 101.
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-51, 3-59.
Bengal bowling: Shami 11-3-18-0, Akash 7-2-15-1, Mukesh 7-3-17-1, Gani 8-4-16-0, Pramanik 12-4-30-1.