Goa go down to HP by 7 wkts

Chasing 185 for a win at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Khandheri, Himachal rode on an 80-run opening stand between Ankush Bains (36) and Prashant (67) to race to their target in 29.2 overs. Earlier put into bat, Goa got off to a descent start but a middle and lower-order collapse saw them being bundled out for 184 off 45.4 overs.

PTI

Rajkot

Opener Prashant Chopra's blistering half-century helped Himachal Pradesh outplay Goa by seven wickets in their Group D match of the Vijay Hazare One-Day cricket tournament, here today.

Chasing 185 for a win at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Khandheri, Himachal rode on an 80-run opening stand between Ankush Bains (36) and Prashant (67) to race to their target in 29.2 overs.

After the opening duo's dismissal and the wicket of Robin Bisht (12), Paras Dogra (34 not out) and Rishi Dhawan (31 not out) made sure that they cantered home without any more casualties.

For Goa, Shadab Jakati bagged all the three wickets giving 33 runs.

Earlier put into bat, Goa got off to a descent start but a middle and lower-order collapse saw them bundled out for 184 off 45.4 overs.

Skipper Sagun Kamat (57 runs off 95 deliveries) and Swapnil Asnodkar (37 runs, 44b, 3X4) added 62 runs for the opening wicket before Asnodkar returned to the pavilion.

Keenan Vaz (25) and Saurabh Bandekar (23) started well but failed to convert their starts into bigger scores.

Pankaj Jaiswal bagged three wickets giving 26 runs, while Bipul Sharma and Rahul Singh got two wickets each.

Meanwhile, a splendid bowling performance by both the pacers and spinners along with Shubham Chaubey's unbeaten 85 helped Uttar Pradesh defeat Saurashtra by five wickets in a Group B match.

Electing to bowl, Uttar Pradesh restricted Saurashtra to 189 off 48.5 overs and then chased down the target in 44.4 overs at the Madhavrao Scindia cricket ground.

Pravin Kumar and India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took advantage of the early moisture and removed in-form Sheldon Jackson (2) and Avi Barot (1).

Bhuvaneshwar then sent Jaydev Shah (1) to the pavilion reducing Saurashtra to 7 for 3 inside the first five overs.

Indian Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and Arpit Vasavada then added 75 runs for the fourth wicket. While Pujara scored 41 while Vasavada made 39. Kamlesh Makawana too chipped in 35.

Piyush Chawla grabbed three wickets for 53 runs, while chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav bagged two wickets.

UP got off to a miserable start with their opener Saurabh Kumar going back to the pavilion on a duck. However, Shubham Chaubey, made unbeaten 85 off 125 deliveries hitting six fours and two sixes and guided the team to victory.

Eklavya Dwivedi scored 39, while Suresh Raina, who was yesterday picked up by the Rajkot team for the Indian Premier League, fell cheaply on 18.

For Saurashtra, Dharmendra Jadeja bagged two wickets for 38 runs.

Brief Scores: Goa 184 all out off 45.4 overs (Sagun Kamat 57, Swapnil Asnodkar 37; Pankaj Jaiswal 3-26) lost to Himachal Pradesh 187 for 3 off 29.2 overs (Prashant Chopra 67, Paras Dogra 34 not out; Shadab Jakati 3-33) by 7 wickets Points: Himachal Pradesh 4, Goa 0.