Vijay Hazare Trophy: Bengal manage a win, finally

KOLKATA: Bengal finally got a win under the belt in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (one-day) meet when they subdued Tripura by 109 runs in a Group B match at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium, Amtar, on Tuesday.
It did little to alter their position in the seven-team group, however, as they stayed sixth with six points from five matches.
Pacer Alok Pratap Singh (4-36) and spinner Pradipta Pramanik (3-25) shared the spoils to skittle out Tripura for 140 after Bengal posted 249 in their allotted 33 overs on being asked to bat first in a weather-curtailed game.
It was yet another below-par performance by Bengal batsmen. Opener Abhishek Raman and Vivek Singh steadied the innings after opener Shreevats Goswami fell to the fourth ball of the match. But after Raman and Vivek were dismissed in quick succession, the Bengal middle order fell like a pack of cards.
Raman smashed 76 off 52 deliveries with 11 boundaries and two sixes, while Vivek made 84 (71 balls, 9x4, 1x6). Anushtup Majumdar, coming in at No. 5, made a steady unbeaten 32 but ran out of partners.
Tripura left-arm spinner Abhijit Chakraborty ran through the Bengal innings, claiming seven for 40.
The Tripura batsmen failed to do justice to Chakraborty’s fine effort. A lack of application saw them losing wickets in a heap and but for Joydeep Banik (51), Tripura may not have managed even 100.
Brief scores: Bengal 249 in 33 ovs (Abhisek Raman 76, Vivek Singh 84; Abhijit Chakraborty 7-40). Tripura 140 in 29 ovs (Joydeep Banik 51; Alok Pratap Singh 4-36, Pradipta Pramanik 3-25). Bengal won by 109 runs.