Saurashtra clinch maiden Ranji Trophy title

Saurashtra led by Jaydev Unadkat lifted their maiden Ranji Trophy beating Bengal on the basis of the first-innings lead at Rajkot yesterday.

One hour and 10 minutes of 5th-day play in the decisive morning session yielded 27 runs and four wickets with Bengal all out for 381, giving Saurashtra a 44-run first-innings lead. At the start of the day, Bengal needed 72 runs for the first-innings lead with four wickets in hands.

Unadkat, who had single-handily taken Saurashtra into the final with a seven-wicket haul against Gujarat on the final day of their semifinal, rose to the occasion yet again to a historic



victory.

The left-arm pacer ended as the season's leading wicket-taker with 67 scalps at a staggering average of 13.23, one short of an all-time record.

           

In the second innings, all Saurashtra had to do was to bat before both captains decided to call off the game and shake hands.

They eventually did that at tea time after Saurashtra sauntered 105 for four in 34 overs. With the win, Saurashtra ended their Ranji Trophy title drought while a fighting Bengal will have to wait longer for their first crown since the 1989-90 season.