da dobrowin： A brilliant stand between Y Gnaneswara Rao and ASK Varma went in vainas heavy showers interceded to drown out Andhra’s hopes in the CoochBehar South Zone league at Vishakapatnam today
Sankhya Krishnan28-Sep-2000A brilliant stand between Y Gnaneswara Rao and ASK Varma went in vainas heavy showers interceded to drown out Andhra’s hopes in the CoochBehar South Zone league at Vishakapatnam today. When the skies openedup, the hosts were just two runs short of the first innings lead,having piled up 420/5 in reply to Hyderabad’s 421. Both teams sharedthree points each in the drawn encounter.Resuming at 105/2, Gnaneswara Rao and Varma compiled a 351-runpartnership for the third wicket in just under 80 overs before bothwere dismissed within a few runs of each other when just in sight ofHyderabad’s first innings total. Gnaneswara Rao made an exact doublecentury off 260 balls inclusive of 21 fours and a six before he wasstumped by Ibrahim Khaleel off Syed Yakoob. Varma followed for 165(234 balls, 18 fours and 2 sixes), being snaffled by Arjun Yadav atshort leg off Nalin Reddy to leave Andhra at 401/4.Andhra took one more setback in their stride as Venugopala Rao fellcheaply for 13, caught in the covers by Ambati Rayudu to give Yakoobhis second wicket. Eight minutes into the final session of the daycame the tragic denouement and play was officially called of at 5.15pm. At the end of two matches Andhra’s tally was at eight points whileHyderabad were ahead at eleven.