Sriram, Sharath steady
South Zone

Opener S Sriram's patient 82 and left-hander S Sharath's unbeaten 41 saved South Zone the blushes as they recovered to 233 for 6 against West Zone on the first day of the Duleep Trophy cricket match at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.

Sharath, who enjoyed two lives, struck six fours in 101 minutes. Giving him company at stumps was K S Shabuddin on two.

Medium pacer Ajit Agarkar removed Hemang K Badani (17 off 88 minutes and 65 balls, two fours) just as the Tamil Nadu left-hander was dropping anchor after his team lost the first four wickets for 170 runs and R V Ch Prasad (10, 27 minutes, 19 balls, two fours).

Electing to bat, Sriram (87 in 260 minutes, 222 balls, 13 fours) and captain M S K Prasad (23, 87 minutes, two fours) added 42 runs in the first 21.2 overs when the latter fell.

Then D Vinay Kumar (37, 90 minutes, one six and three fours) put on 67 runs for the second wicket with Sriram in 26.1 overs before falling to leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule.

Carrying on undaunted, Sriram added another 47 runs with Rowland Barrington (15, 51 mnts, two fours) in 15.4 overs. But Barrington fell to off spinner Ramesh Powar and four runs later Sriram himself edged West Zone captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar into the hands of Connor Williams at first slip to see South Zone tottering at 170 for 4.

However, Badani and Sharath added 31 runs for the fifth wicket in 16 overs. Sharath was let off twice off successive deliveries when his score was on 12. After Badani fell, Prasad joined Sharath, who pushed his own score. But South Zone lost their sixth wicket when Prasad too fell.

For West Zone, medium pacer Ajit Agarkar (2-36), Sairaj Bahutule (2-40), off spinners Hrishikesh Kanitkar (1-7) and Ramesh Powar (1-77) picked up the wickets.