Vijay Hazare Trophy: Bihar script record win, Vijay-Abhinav shine for Tamil Nadu

Bihar shot out Sikkim for 46 on the way to a record 292-run win in a plate group match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy domestic one-dayers on Sunday. Menwhile, Captain Vijay Shankar and Abhinav Mukund starred in Tamil Nadu's six-wicket win over Bengal iin Elite Group 'C' League.

Plate Group

Bihar's win is the biggest in terms of runs in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, eclipsing Baroda's win by 279 runs against Assam last season.

Sent in, Bihar amassed 338 for six in the stipulated 50 overs with Rahmatullah smashing a 103-ball 156 before retiring hurt with the team's score at 307. He struck 10 boundaries and eight sixes.

Opener Babul Kumar (92 from 112 balls) lent fine support at the other end as the duo put on 166 runs for the second wicket to set the platform.

In reply, just two Sikkim batsmen registered double digit scores, as their innings ended in 31 overs at the Shastri Maidan.

Skipper Keshav Kumar (3/7) and Anunay Singh (3/12) starred with the ball and received fine support from Rehan Khan (2/10).

This was Bihar's fifth win in a row as they consolidated their lead with 22 points from six matches, six clear of second-placed Uttarkhand.

Uttarakhand also remained in the hunt with an easy eight-wicket win over Meghalaya at the Moti Bagh ground in Vadodara.

Left-arm pacer Shubham Saundiyal (2/30) took two wickets in his first two overs to reduce Meghalaya to 8/2 inside four overs.

Later, Vaibhav Bhatt (3/9) and Deepak Dhapola (2/18) capitalised on the start to bundle out Meghalaya for 141 in 41.2 overs.

Opener Vineet Saxena steered Uttarakhand's chase with an unbeaten 66 from 87 balls as they cruised to the target with 114 balls to spare.

Brief Scores (Plate Group):

At Anand: Bihar 338/6; 50 overs (MD Rahmatullah 156, Babul Kumar 92) beat Sikkim 46; 31 overs (Keshav Kumar 3/7, Anunay Singh 3/12) by 292 runs.

At Vadodara: Meghalaya 141; 41.2 overs (Yogesh Nagar 44; Vaibhav Bhatt 3/9) lost to Uttarakhand 143/2; 31 overs (Vineet Saxena 66 not out) by eight wickets.

At Nadiad: Manipur 144; 43.3 overs (Yashpal Singh 41) lost to Nagaland 147/1; 34.2 overs (Sedezhalie Rupero 52 not out, KB Pawan 50 not out) by nine wickets.

Elite Group B 

Samarth Singh hit an 87-ball 70 as Uttar Pradesh's top-order fired in unison to notch up a five-wicket win over Madhya Pradesh in a group B match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday.

Samarth emerged as the top-scorer for UP as he added 105 runs with Aksh Deep Nath (51) after openers Abhishek Goswami (31) and Upendra Yadav (45) gave the team a superb start with a 76-run partnership at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

Priyam Garg later blasted a 42-ball unbeaten 50 to take the team home, scoring 280 for 5 in 49.3 overs.

Earlier, Madhya Pradesh posted a competitive 277 for 7 in 50 overs, riding on superb innings by Venkatesh Iyer (83), Yash Dubey (66) and skipper Naman Ojha (53).

In another group B match, DB Prashanth Kumar (71) slammed a strokeful fifty to guide Andra Pradesh to a six-wicket win over Saurashtra at Airforce Complex ground.

Electing to bat, Saurashtra could manage only 214 for 7 in their 50 overs, courtesy contributions from AV Vasavada (55), Perak Mankad (32) and Chirag Jani (40).

Chasing the target, Andhra lost their first wicket early but Prashanth laid the foundation with an 83-ball fifty, while B Sumanth (43 not out), opener KS Bharat (34), Ricky Bhui (33) produced useful innings to take them home with nine balls to spare.

Brief Scores (Elite Group B):

Madhya Pradesh 277-7 in 50 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 83, Yash Dubey 66; Shiva Singh 49/2, Amit Mishra 2/64). Uttar Pradesh 280-5 in 49.3 overs (Samarth Singh 70, Aksh Deep Nath 51; Saransh Jain 3/29) 

Saurashtra 214-7 in 50 overs (AV Vasavada 55; Karn Sharma 2/48). Andhra 215-4 in 48.3 overs (DB Prashanth Kumar 71; Chirag Jani 1/25, DA Jadeja 1/38)

Elite Group C 

Captain Vijay Shankar and Abhinav Mukund starred in Tamil Nadu's six-wicket win over Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

In other matches, Gujarat and Haryana registered victories over Jammu and Kashmir respectively.

Tamil Nadu chose to bowl first at the M A Chidambaram Stadium and restricted Bengal to 239 in 49.4 overs. Manoj Tiwary top scored with 47.

Vijay Shankar was the best bowler with 4 for 34.

Mukund (94) and N Jagadeesan (55) added 143 runs for the opening wicket in 133 balls, which made things easy for Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, Gujarat shot out J&K for 123: and reached the target in 21.1 overs.

Also, Haryana defeated Tripura by three wickets.

Brief scores (Elite Group C): 

Bengal 239 in 49.4 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 72 (97b, 4x4, 1x6), Manoj Tiwary 47, Anustup Majumdar 39, Vijay Shankar 4 for 34, M Mohammed 3 for 54) lost to Tamil Nadu 240 for four in 42 overs N. Jagadeesan 55 (52b, 5x4, 2x6) Abhinav Mukund (lhb) 94 (100b, 11x4), B Aparajith 43, B. Indrajith 28 not out).

J&K 123 in 34 overs (Ian Chauhan 35, Piyush Chawla3 for 29 lost to Gujarat 127 for two in 21.1 overs Priyank Panchal 49, Bhargav Merai 43 not out).

Tripura 171 in 45 overs (Bishal Ghosh 36,Bravish Shetty 60 (85b, 4X4, 2X6), Harshal Patel 3 for 19, Rahul Tewatia 3 for 27) lost to Haryana 175 for seven in 41.2 overs (Harshal Patel 41, Chaitanya Bishnoi 55 not out (111b, 4x4), Himanshu Rana 34, Rajib Saha 3for 25).

Elite Group A

Baroda put up a comprehensive all-round performance to thrash Railways by 180 runs in their Elite Group A game.

With this victory, Baroda stay in the hunt to make it to the next round as five teams from the group can make it to the second round based on points and NRR.

Opting to bat at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Baroda posted a healthy 269 for 9 on the board before bundling out Railways for a paltry 89.

Baroda opener Aditya Waghmode (74) top-scored while medium pacer Babashafi Pathan (5-25) grabbed a five-wicket haul as the two starred in their side's victory.

Baroda were off to a positive start with Kedar Devdhar (44) and Waghmode putting on 88 for the first wicket.

One down Krunal Pandya (62) and skipper Deepak Hooda (54) played their part to perfection before the Railways bowlers made a good comeback to restrict Baroda to 269.

Then Baroda bowlers, led by right-arm medium pacer Pathan, blew away the Railways batsmen.Pathan was ably supported by Lukman Meriwala (2-14) while Atit Sheth and Krunal Pandya also shared the spoils.

Such was the dominance by Baroda bowlers that no Railways batsman could even individually cross the 25-run mark.

In another Elite Group A encounter at Alur, spinners Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham starred in Karnataka's six-wicket win against Vidarbha by sharing six wickets equally.

Experienced Surya Kumar Yadav (123 not out) notched up a gritty hundred to help Mumbai register a six-wicket win against Himachal Pradesh in another Elite Group A game.

Brief scores (Elite Group A): 

Baroda 269/9 in 50 overs (Aditya Waghmode 74, Krunal Pandya 62, Manish Rao 3-30) bt Railways 89 all out in 24.4 overs (Manish Rao 23 not out, Saurabh Wakaskar 17, Babashafi Pathan 5-25) by 180 runs.

Vidarbha 125 all out in 36.2 overs (Ganesh Satish 50, Atharva Taide 32, Shreyas Gopal 3-13) lost to Karnataka 129/4 in 32.3 overs (Kaunain Abbas 35 not out, Gopal 34 not out, Yash Thakur 3-22) by six wickets.

Himachal Pradesh 269/6 in 50 overs (Prashant Chopra 86, Rishi Dhawan 53 not out, Shivam Dubey 2-41) lost to Mumbai 270/4 in 44.3 overs (Surya Kumar Yadav 123 not out, Shams Mulani 41 not out, Rishi Dhawan 2-42) by six wickets.