BHUBANESWAR 28-Oct-2010 141
Forced to follow on, Orissa made a valient comeback to draw their four-day C K Nayudu Trophy Under-22 Elite group `C` league match against Bengal at Kolkata today. Girija Rout and Biplab Samantaray scored an unbeaten century each to make it possible for Orissa.
Needing 243 runs to escape a humiliating innings defeat, Orissa were 330 for three in the second innings when the match came to an end. However, host Bengal gained three points from the match by virtue of taking first innings lead, while Orissa contended
themselves wity one point.
Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 60 for one and needing 183 runs more to escape innings defeat, Orissa successfully batted throughout the last day to deny Bengal an outright win.
Opener Rout and Samantaray rescued Orissa by stitching together 225 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket. Rout slammed an unbeaten 152 with the help of 17 boundaries, while Samantaray cracked an unconquered 116, which included 12 hits to the fence and four over it.
Earlier, Orissa were bowled out for 239 in reply to Bengal`s huge first innings total of 481 for six declared. S S Mondal hit a majestic 211 and Sudip Chatterjee hammered 121 for Bengal, while Gobind Poddar (62) and Biplab Samantaray (59) scored a half-century for Orissa.
Brief score:
Bengal: 481/6 declared (SS Mondal 211, Sudip Chatterjee 121, J Basu 71, Ompal Boken 31 n.o; Lagnajit Samal 2/155) drew with Orissa: 239 (Gobind Poddar 62, Biplab Samantaray 59, Lagnajit Samal 33, Bibhudutta Panda 22 n.o; Aloke Sharma 5/59, Kamlesh Mitra 2/35, S Pakre 2/67) and 330/3 (Girija Rout 152 n.o, Biplab Samantaray 116 n.o, Abhilash Mallick 31; Aloke Sharma 2/62).
