da prosport bet： ONGC stormed into the semifinals of the MRF-Buchi Babu invitationtournament at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk today
Sankhya Krishnan26-Aug-2000ONGC stormed into the semifinals of the MRF-Buchi Babu invitationtournament at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk today. Aftersecuring a first innings lead of 224 over All India Associate Banks,ONGC rattled up 166 without loss in their second essay, declaring tenminutes before tea following which the match was called off by mutualconsent. The stars of the day for the victors were off spinner RahulSanghvi who claimed all five Banks wickets to fall today and openerMohammed Saif who blitzed his way to a 115-ball century in the secondinnings.Resuming with the Karnataka duo of Thilak Naidu and KN Ramesh at thecrease, the Banks team surrendered abjectly from 240/4 to 260 all out.Sanghvi who’d gone wicketless yesterday bowled a magnificent spell of11.2-4-14-5 this morning to wreck the lower middle order. Naidu wascaught at slip by Virender Shewag for a painstaking 29 and ten runslater Ramesh followed him to the dressing room, entrapped by the samecombination for 18. Tailenders R Sridhar, DP Singh and NP Singh wereblown away in the space of four runs and with last man TR Sudheeshabsent hurt, the innings terminated in the 91st over, Sanghvireturning with 5/69.In just over two and a half hours of merriment, ONGC hoisted a scoreof 166 in 38.2 overs, openers Ravi Sehgal (53) and Mohammed Saif (101)remaining unvanquished. Sehgal reached his fifty off 119 balls butSaif, elder brother of Mohammed Kaif, reached his hundred off fourballs less, pounding 12 fours and two sixes in the process. ONGC havenow set up a semifinal clash with the New Zealand Cricket Academy atthe same venue, beginning August 28.