NURUDDIN TROPHY
Guwahati, March 16: Leg-spinner Gyan Prakash scalped three more wickets today to help NF Railway restrict holders Guwahati to 187 in 87.5 overs and put his team within striking distance of regaining the Nuruddin Ahmed Trophy senior inter-district cricket championship at the Nehru Stadium here.
After sending Guwahati opener R.K. Mritunjoy Gohain to the pavilion yesterday, Prakash struck thrice on Day Three to return figures of four for 63 from 20.5 overs that included four maidens.
His exploits fashioned a 223-run first innings lead for the railway side.
NF Railway were 142 for two in their second innings when play was called off due to poor light following a dust storm half an hour before time with seven overs pending.
First innings centurion Syed Zakaria Zuffri was at the crease on 45 with Bachan Singh on five at the other end.
Zuffri’s 69-ball knock comprised four fours and a six after skipper and opener Parag Das (32 off 26 balls) was trapped leg before by Sajjad Hussain. Das slammed five hits to the fence and a six.
The other opener, Parvez Aziz, contributed 41 before he nicked Subhrajit Saikia to the safe hands of Hussain. He hit five boundaries in his 69-ball innings.
Guwahati, resuming at their overnight 95 for two, suffered a top-order collapse losing Hussain, Nishanta Bordoloi and Dhrubajyoti Singh for only nine runs in the morning session.
However, all-rounder Souvik Das and wicketkeeper-batsman Prantar Sarma shared a 68-run sixth-wicket stand to consolidate the innings.
Souvik (33 from 67 balls) was the first to go, but not before slamming four boundaries, while Sarma showed his back at 41 from 96 balls, leaving state under-22 skipper Mukut Kalita at the other end. Sarma hit four fours and two sixes.
Kalita remained unbeaten on six as he ran out of partners as captain Utpal Medhi, Bitop Mahanta and Bhaiti Ali nudged plump catches to Parag Das at slips for nought.
Parvez Aziz and paceman Zaved Zaman shared two wickets each conceding 10 and 33 runs respectively.
The railway side would be declared winners by virtue of the first innings lead even if the Guwahati second innings is not completed.
However, sources in the team said it would look for an outright win on the last day tomorrow.
SCORECARD
NF Railway 1st innings: 410
Guwahati 1st innings (overnight 95/2)
Sajjad c Konwar b Zaman 38
Nishanta b Aziz 13
D. Singh run out 3
Souvik c Das b Konwar
Prantar c Aziz b Prakash 41
Mukut not out 6
Medhi c Das b Aziz 0
Bitop c Das b Prakash 0
Bhaiti c Das b Prakash 0
Extras: 15
Total (all out, 87.5 overs): 187
Fall of wickets: 1/15, 2/76, 3/97, 4/104, 5/104, 6/172, 7/180, 8/186, 9/187
Bowling: Zaved Zaman 17-6-33-2, Parag Das 3-2-1-0, Arlen Konwar 31-10-50-1, Gyan Prakash 20.5-4-63-4, Parvez Aziz 10-4-10-2, Bimal Goswami 6-3-15-0.
NF Railway 2nd innings
Parag lbw b Hussain 32
Parvez c Hussain b Saikia 41
Zuffri batting 45
Bachan batting 5
Extras: 20
Total (for 2, 36.2 overs) 142
Fall of wickets: 1/47, 2/127
Bowling: Souvik Das 2-0-21-0, Utpal Medhi 4-0-17-0, Sajjad Hussain 6-2-17-1, Subhrajit Saikia 14-4-27-1, Bitop Mahanta 10.2-0-44-0.
