Ranji Trophy: Andhra takes 32-run lead, Uttarakhand 36/2 in second innings

Andhra top order batters failed to capitalise on their good starts as the resilient Uttarakhand bowlers picked up wickets at regularly to restrict the first innings lead to just 32 runs.

FILE PHOTO: Deepak Dhapola.

Andhra frittered away the advantage to allow Uttarakhand to stage a comeback late on the second day in the Ranji Trophy Group E match at the KCA-St.Xavier's College ground on Friday.

Andhra top order batters failed to capitalise on their good starts as the resilient Uttarakhand bowlers picked up wickets at regularly to restrict the first innings lead to just 32 runs.

The small lead was made possible by a cameo from Y. Sandeep (39) as Andhra slumped from a comfortable score of 129 for two to 191 for eight before being dismissed for 226.

Medium pacer Deepak Dhapola exemplified his team's spirit with a lion hearted show. Deepak bowled long spells and kept up the pressure to finish with 4/80.

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Late in the evening, C. Stephen in a fiery spell send back both the Uttarakhand openers Jaya Bista (23) - to a superb catch in the gully by Gnaneshwar - and Kamal Singh (6) as Uttarakhand reached 36 for two at stumps on the second day.

Andhra was cruising comfortably at 129 for two just before lunch when Deepak Dhapola forced captain Ricky Bhui (33) to edge a catch to Bista at second slip.

It was a virtual crawl for the Andhra batters after lunch as Uttarakhand bowlers not only dried up the runs but also picked up crucial wickets.

Shaikh Rasheed who had batted fluently to reach his fifty went into a shell. Uttarakhand spinners Dikshanshu Negi and Mayank Mishra bowled a parsimonious spell to him. Negi trapped Shaikh Rasheed (56) in front and left arm pacer Agrim Tiwari found Karan Shinde's (14) edge which was snapped up by Kunal Chandela in the slips.

Naren Reddy (4)  and B. Ayyappa (7) were bowled playing across to the spinners Negi and Mayank respectively. Dhapola came back to dismiss Prithvi Raj (7) cheaply as Andhra slumped to 191/8. 

Sandeep decided to throw caution to wind and hit a few lusty blows off the medium pacers to enable Andhra take the lead. He was out top-edging a pull to Dhapola at third man off Agrim. Dhapola then finished things off with Stephen's wicket.

The scores Uttarakhand-Ist innings: 194 Andhra-Ist innings: C.R.Gnaneshwar lbw Mayank 45, U.M.S. Girinath lbw Dhapol 6, Shaikh Rasheed  lbw Negi 56, Ricky Bhui c Bista b Dhapola 33, Karan Shinde c Kunal b Agrim 14, Y. Sandeep c Dhapola b Agrim 37, Naren Reddy b Mayank 4, B. Ayyappa b Negi 7, Prithvi Raj b Dhapola 4, C. Stephen c Tanush b Dhapola 6, S. Ashish not out 4 Extras (b 2, lb 4, nb 4) 10 Total (all out in 85 overs) 226 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-72, 3-129, 4-157, 5-165, 6-170, 7-186, 8-191, 9-216 Uttarakhand bowling: Dhapola 27-6-80-4, Agrim 21-5-61-2, Mayank 12-4-28-2, Jay Bista 1-0-4-0, Nainwal 4-0-12-0, Swapnil Singh 5-1-14-0, Negi 15-4-21-2. Uttarakhand 2nd innings Jay Bista c Gnaneshwar b Stephen 23, Kamal Singh c Gnaneshwar b Stephen 6, Tanush Gusain batting 6, Deepesh Nainwal batting 0 Extras (lb 1) 1 Total (for two wkts. in 12 overs) 36 Andhra bowling: Stephen 6-2-15-2, Ayyappa 3-1-14-0, Prithvi Raj 3-2-6-0.