Buchi Babu invitational tournament: TNCA teams off to winning starts

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Chennai: Local teams -TNCA President's XI and TNCA XI -got off to a winning start in the Kalpathi Buchi Babu all-India invitation cricket tournament here on Friday. Young batsman B. Indrajith's unbeaten 40 guided TNCA President's XI to a fivewicket win over Assam at Pachaiyappa's ground, while K.Bharath Shankar (102) and India off-spinner R. Ashwin (6/61) set up TNCA XI's three-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association at IIT-Chemplast ground.
As the first day was washed out without a ball being bowled, the match between Assam and TNCA President's XI was reduced to 50over-a-side contest. The local team, who elected to field, used the moist conditions to telling effect as they bowled out Assam for 138. Right-arm pacer Sunil Sam took six wickets, while leftarm spinner R. Aushik Srinivas bagged three to shut out Assam in 42.5 overs. Chasing an easy target, the TNCA team stuttered before Indrajith's rescue act.
At IIT, Ashwin led-TNCA XI rode on a brilliant opening-wicket partnership between Bharath and M. Kaushik Gandhi (89). The duo put on 155 runs in 37.1 overs. When TNCA still needed 30 runs in 19.5 overs with five wickets in hand, rain threatned to spoil the home team's hopes of winning four points. But play resumed in half an hour and V. Maaruthi Raghav's cameo (33 not out) wrapped up the contest. Earlier, Ashwin added three more wickets to his overnight tally of three for 35 to bowl out UPCA for 279 in 78.1 overs.
Karnataka, Haryana and Kerala were the other teams to post victories. Karnataka who restricted Bengal to 171 for eight in 43 overs romped to nine-wicket win, while Baroda fell 12 runs short of a challenging target (235/6 in 50 overs) set by Kerala.