A gallant 95 from RVC Prasad helped Andhra settle at 243/8 on thefirst day of their opening Ranji Trophy South Zone clash againstKerala at Vijayawada today
Sankhya Krishnan01-Nov-2000A gallant 95 from RVC Prasad helped Andhra settle at 243/8 on thefirst day of their opening Ranji Trophy South Zone clash againstKerala at Vijayawada today. Home team captain Amit Pathak won the tossand chose to take first strike against Kerala’s three pronged seamattack of Renjith Menon, Tinu Yohanan and Sunil Oasis.Oasis struck a double blow in the 11th over of the day, taking outopener LNP Reddy and then two balls later removing the baby of theteam, 16-year-old Y Gnaneswara Rao, who was making his first classdebut. Another teenager, Y Venugopala Rao fell shortly afterwards toleave Andhra at 48/3.Pathak and Prasad added 87 for the fourth wicket in just over 35 oversbefore the former fell to the wiles of his opposite number, legspinner KN Ananthapadmanabhan for 58. Prasad was involved in anotheruseful association of 68 with KST Sai but from 203/4, Andhra lost fourwickets for 28. The hosts suffered a major blow just before stumpswhen Prasad gave a return catch to Ananthapadmanabhan for 95 (209balls, 9 fours). Yohanan, yet to take a first class wicket prior tothis game, was the most successful bowler with 3/78.