Aided by a strokeful 76 from opener Wasim Jaffer, Elite-B compiled 248 for the loss of four wickets on the opening day of their four-day Duleep Trophy match against Elite-C at IGMC stadium, in Vijaywada, on Thursday.
Electing to bat, the Elite-B innings began on a sedate note. Openers Amit Pagnis and Jaffer played patiently and made 92 runs by lunch.
Pagnis, however, got out in the first over of the post-lunch session, giving a simple catch to keeper Pankaj Dharmani off Nilesh Kulkarni. Pagnis missed the half century by one run.
Jaffer went on to complete his half century in the company of Vinayak Mane and the duo compiled 91 runs for the second wicket before Jaffer was brilliantly stumped by Dharmani off Kulmani Parida.
At close of play, Elite-B skipper MSK Prasad and T P Singh were at the crease with 9 and 36 runs respectively. Parida and Kulkarni were the pick of Elite-C bowlers claiming two wickets each.
Somasundar, Arun Kumar hit centuries
In Bangalore, opener Sujith Somasundar hit an unbeaten 150 and skipper J Arun Kumar scored 106 as Plate B amassed 344 for two on the opening day of their four-day Duleep Trophy encounter against Elite A.
On a day which totally belonged to Plate B, the rival team was sent on a leather hunt at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Frustrating the Elite A attack, Somasundar and Arun Kumar put on 188 runs for the opening wicket, plundering runs at will and building an excellent platform for the team to go in for a huge score.
Arun Kumar started from where he had left off against Plate A in the last encounter in which he hit 176. Today, he smashed 13 fours and two sixes facing 144 balls, before being bowled off Sarandeep Singh.
Amay Khurasia, who came at the fall of Arun Kumar's wicket, fell cheaply, scoring just four. He gave a catch to Y Venugopal Rao, with Sarandeep again picking up the wicket.
Vijay Bharadwaj then joined Somasundar and they denied any more success to S Sriram-led Elite A.
At stumps, Bharadwaj was batting on 58 (8x4) and Somasundar on 150 (16x4, 4x6).
