An entertaining 65 by Ajit Agarkar and a stodgy 76 by Bhavin Thakkar laid the platform for Mumbai to expedite a victory after gaining a huge 260-run lead in the Elite Group Ranji Trophy semi-final against Baroda at the GSFC ground here on Saturday. Resuming at 138 for 3, already eight runs ahead of Baroda’s first innings total of 130, Mumbai went on to score 390, and then claimed the wicket of opener Connor Williams as the hosts’ second innings began on a disastrous note. SCOREBOARD Baroda (1st innings): 130 all out. Mumabi (1st innings): Mane lbw Z Khan 18; Jaffer c Mongia b Patel 22; Shetty c Parab b Khan 74; Mazumdar lbw Khan 17; Thakkar c Mongia b Arothe 76; Mhambrey b Bhoite 19; Bahutule b Khan 45; Agarkar c Bhoite b Arothe 65; Samant c Mongia b Khan 14; Powar b Arothe 5; Salvi not out 15. Extras: (b-8, lb-10, nb-2) 20. Total: 390 all out in 123.3 overs. Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-71, 3-109, 4-147, 5-177, 6-256, 7-355, 8-358, 9-364. Bowling: Z Khan 23.3-8-46-5, R Patel 24-10-54-1, I Pathan-Jr 26-5-93-0, V Buch 19-2-77-0, A Bhoite 17-0-54-1, T Arothe 13-3-48-3. BARODA (2nd innings): Williams c Jaffer b Powar 6; Parab batting 6. Extras: 4 (nb-4). Total: 16 for 1 in 8.2 overs. Fall of wcket: 1-16. Bowling: Agarkar 4-3-2-0, Salvi 2-1-4-0, Bahutule 2-0-8-0, R Powar 0.2-0-2-1. Mercifully for the hosts, the umpires declared close of play the moment the wicket fell in the last over of the day. Mhambrey introduced Ramesh Powar in the ninth over of the innings and the last of the day, and Williams’ attempted push took the outside edge for Wasim Jaffer to take a simple catch in the slips. At 16 for one, Baroda have their task cut out for the third day. Earlier in the day, Agarkar, batting at number eight, made a quickfire 65, his 50 coming off only 40 balls. He batted effortlessly, hitting two fours and a huge six over mid-wicket in Valmik Buch’s 14th over. The two put on 99 runs for the seventh wicket in 145 balls and 98 minutes. Bhavin plodded on to keep one end intact after his overnight partner Nishit Shetty departed early in the day for the addition of only five runs to his 69, deceived by a slower one from Zaheer Khan to lob a catch to Satyajit Parab at mid-on.Arothe was also successful for Baroda. Brought on too late in the day, he still claimed three quick wickets to precipitate the end of the Mumbai innings.First off, he broke Thakkar and Agarkar’s partnership, Thakkar stepping out to him but only edging it to Mongia. Then Tushar claimed the wicket of Agarkar, whose outside edge was taken brilliantly by Bhoite in the slips.
