NCA TAKE FIRST INNINGS LEAD

The fall of Neeraj Patel's wicket brought another Patel - Rakesh to the crease. At this stage NCA were 294/6.

Although Rakesh Patel is more known for his prowess with the ball, he is no mug with the bat. Going after the bowlers as soon as he reached the crease, Patel sent a ball flying over long on for six. He followed that up with two more huge hits and one boundary and he had raced to 26 off just 13 balls. Sodhi had completed his fifty, NCA had overhauled the Zimbabwe total - there was nothing left to play for. Aptly, Sodhi declared the NCA innings closed at 323/6, one run more than Zimbabwe's total.

Needing to play out 24 overs late on the second day, Douglas Marillier and Gavin Rennie opened the innings for the visitors. Neither went after the bowlers and this let both Rakesh Patel and Mrithyunjay Tripathi settle into a good rhythm. Gavin Rennie who did not make too many runs in the first innings was the first to go, chasing a wide delivery from Patel. He had made one.

Trevor Madondo who looked patchy in his first knock came in at one drop. Exercising a bit more caution this time around, he managed to shore up one end. Unfortunately for Zimbabwe, Marillier could not do the same. After getting to 23 in just 26 balls, he was beaten all ends up by a quicker one from Patel and saw his off stump go cartwheeling behind him.

Andy Flower came in ahead of first innings centurion Alistair Campbell and in the company of Madondo saw Zimbabwe safely through to stumps at 84/2. Flower with 23 and Madondo with 33 will go head to head with the NCA bowling tomorrow.

SRIRAM STANDS TALL AS NCA STRIDE CONFIDENTLY FORWARD

With that stroke Sriram pushed on to 97. It had been a patient stay at the crease and one that deserved a century. Alas, it was not to be. A flighted leg break from Paul Strang stopped on Sriram and he ended up spooning a return catch. The bowler accepted the offering gratefully and Sriram's lknock of 97 had come to an end. His innings took all of 148 balls and included 14 hits to the fence. Having spent almost three and a half hours at the crease, the young man would have done well to stick around for a bit longer and reach the magical three figure mark.

Reetinder Singh Sodhi replaced Sriram and was in the thick of the action right away. Playing strokes all around the wicket, the Sardar launched himself at the bowlers. An exquisite square drive played on one knee that thudded into the hoardings at point highlighted the kind of day Henry Olonga was having. Despite being the quickest bowler on the day, Olonga went for 69 runs off his 12 overs.

Neeraj Patel dabbled and tucked the ball into the gaps and quite unassumingly brought up his half century. When the players trooped off for tea, Patel was motoring on steadily on 54 while Sodhi had raced to a run a ball 40. NCA were 249/5 and in search of quick runs.

SRIRAM LEADS NCA FIGHTBACK

Despite presenting a chance at short cover in the very first ball he faced off Bryan Strang, Gambhir started well, timing the ball fluently. Playing late, he whipped the nippy Travis Friend through midwicket to bring up his first boundary. At the other end, Sridharan Sriram was steady. A flurry of fours rolled of Gambhir's bat as leg spinner Paul Strang found the going a bit rough. After lacing a well flighted delivery through the covers, Gambhir came down the wicket and one whistling past mid off. Forced to change his length, Strang overcompensated and dropped the ball short. On to it quickly, Gambhir pulled the ball away for his fourth boundary of the day. Alas, the dream run was not to last. Having reached 19 in a hurry, Gambhir dabbed at a leg break from Strang and only managed to edge the ball to slip.

India Test cap Mohammed Kaif was the next man in, and he only lasted half an over. Playing back to a quick leg break from Strang, he was trapped plumb in front.

This brought Ahmedabad left hander Neeraj Patel to the crease. In the presence of Sriram, Patel motored on. Sriram meanwhile had accelerated his scoring rate. Striking boundaries in almost every over, Srriam was patient enough to wait for the loose ball. While other batsmen had looked in good touch, none of them were judicious enough in shot selection.

Although Sriram cornered a majority of the crowd's cheers, Patel was not one to go unnoticed. Announcing his presence at the crease first with a crisp square drive and then with a straight drive that gave mid off no chance, Patel remained unbeated at 18 when the players left the field for lunch. The most content man at lunch though would have to be Sriram whose half century off 83 balls gave the selectors ample notice of his ability to score at a decent pace. At lunch he had helped himself to 72 with 10 hits that raced across the outfield to the fence. NCA had put on 113 runs in the first session for the loss of 3 wickets and were 141/4. Speedster Henry Olonga was especially expensive, his 8 overs going for 45 runs.

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Date-stamped : 09 Nov2000 - 14:23