DANISH Malewar, Karun Nair and captain Akshay Wadkar scored a century each as Vidarbha scored mammoth 512 for 8 to take first innings lead against Gujarat in their Group B match of Ranji Trophy at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Friday. Resuming at 202 for two, overnight batters Malewar (115) and Nair (123) completed their respective centuries in the morning session. Wadkar then played captain’s innings to hit 104 from 152 deliveries as the hosts took a huge 169 runs first innings lead. Malewar and Wadkar, who were caught by wicketkeeper Het Patel on no-balls, used those lives to perfection scoring their centuries. On the second day, Malewar was caught by stumper Patel when on 40 only to be called back after Vishal Jayswal bowled a no ball. On Friday, Wadkar had scored only two runs when he was caught by the keeper but this time Siddharth Desai bowled a no ball. Taking advantage of those reprieves, both Malewar and Wadkar scored centuries.

 

 

Wadkar, who came to bat after lunch, hit 10 boundaries and three sixes to remain unbeaten on 104, his 10 FC hundred, along with Praful Hinge who cracked four sixes to add an entertaining 26 from 33 balls. In the morning, Malewar, overnight 76, was determined not to “play casually” and completed his maiden century with a boundary towards long-on off spinner Jayswal. “I was eager to score a hundred. In previous innings, my approach was casual after scoring 40s and 50s but now I want to concentrate on my batting and score big runs,” Malewar had said after the end of second day’s play. The 21-year-old batter completed his well-deserved century before his senior partner Nair, who started the day with 81 runs. Malewar’s knock had 16 boundaries and two sixes. A few overs later, Nair too completed his 20th First-Class century. He has sent 16 balls to the fence and three over the ropes. They both added 222 runs for the third wicket before both were caught by wicketkeeper Patel in space of six overs. After their departure, captain Wadkar joined Yash Rathod and they added 39 runs for the fifth wicket. Later, Harsh Dubey and Wadkar put up a crucial 75 runs for sixth wicket in just 83 balls which frustrated Gujarat bowlers. Tejas Patel took three wickets for Gujarat.