Meghalaya fight back vs Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Looking to end their disastrous Ranji Trophy campaign on a high note, Gujarat bowled out

Meghalaya

for 166 in the first innings in their Elite Group A match at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) stadium, in Rajkot on Saturday. Following on, the team from northeast gave a better account of themselves in the second essay and reached 224/3 at stumps on the penultimate day.Resuming at the overnight score of 99/6, Meghalaya lost their captain Punit Bisht for 59. Right-arm pacer Chintan Gaja had Bisht caught by his opposite number Bhargav Merai. The last three wickets added 53 runs and Meghalaya were bowled out for 166 in 51.1 overs. Gaja grabbed a fifer conceding 34 runs while left-arm spinnner Siddharth Desai picked up three wickets giving away 33 runs.In their second essay, Meghalaya opener Ravi Teja smashed an unbeaten 133, studded with 18 boundaries and three sixes, and captain Bisht hit nine fours and a six in his 55-run unbeaten knock to take them to 224/3 by the end of day’s play. Gujarat pacer Parth Vaghani dismissed Purajit Mandal and Chirag Khurana for 10 while left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla trapped Bamanbha Shangpliang for 4. The team from northeast still trail Gujarat by 165 runs.Saurashtra take first innings lead vs GoaMeanwhile, in another match, Saurashtra produced a solid batting display with four players, including Test discard Cheteshwar Pujara, scoring fifties as they reached 305 for 3 at stumps in their second innings after dismissing Goa for 311 in 109.5 overs in their Elite group D match at Narendra Modi Stadium A ground.Goa collapsed from their overnight score of 239/4 and lost their last six wickets for 72 runs, to concede a 36-run first innings lead, which will ensure three points for Saurashtra but it wouldn’t be enough to top the group. Left-arm pacers Chetan Sakariya and Jaydev Unadkat shared five wickets between them while left-arm spinners Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Parth Bhut snared two wickets apiece to help Saurashtra gain first-innings lead.Pujara, who was dropped from India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series due to poor run of form, had a good outing, scoring an unbeaten 62-ball 64. Sheldon Jackson (53 batting) was the other not out batsman at stumps.This was after openers Harvik Desai (77) and Snell Patel (61) smashed half-centuries to add 138 runs for the opening wicket. PTI