Parth Bhut came to bat as Saurashtra teetered 147-7. To make matters worse, the team lost another wicket from Snell Patel (70, 131b, 11×4) before Bhut settled.
However, the 24-year-old from Junagadh kept his cool and showed determination, scoring first top his century (111 no, 155b, 11×4, 4×6) and Trophy quarterfinals in Punjab. led Saurashtra to 303 against. Saurashtra Cricket Association stage match on Tuesday.
Batting in difficult conditions, Bhut established two key partnerships of his. In his ninth wicket against Chetan Sakarya he has 61 runs to save the team and at tilt end Yuvrajsinh Dodiya he has 95 runs.
Since making his stellar debut in 2019, Boot has batted nine and reached the quarterfinals with a high score of 49. But when his team desperately needed someone to step up, Bhutto played aggressively, beating Mayank Markande (84-4) and Siddharth Kaur in a flurry of borderlines.
Bhutto slowly turned things around at a time when Punjab appeared to be firmly in control of the game, and when Markande dropped a sitter at his 93-year-old, the Saurashtra cricketer gave up further chances, desiring more. The century was played stylishly.
But the Punjab, who ended the day 3-0, will be disappointed to let the match slip after dominating his first two sessions.
In cold and windy conditions Baltej his Singh (3-for-60) seized the chance and on his fourth ball of the day Harvik his Desai after Saurashtra decided to bat first. was dismissed.
However, Snell and Vishvaraj Jadeja managed to put up a 77-run stand before being caught and bowled by Markande, who attempted a drive. With a stable partnership shattered, Punjab delivered an impressive passage of the game before lunch. A fuller delivery from Baltej saw Sheldon Jackson, who started briskly with six in a row, providing a catch for Ammol his Malhotra. Captain Arpit Vasavada also failed to open the account and he fell five wickets in the session after lunch before Bhut was promoted.
Baltej dominated the first session, but winning the experienced Siddharth Kaur Bowl from one end with Markande after lunch was a smart move for Punjab. That strategy gave Baltej the composure he needed, and Markande threw in frequent Googles, which worked in his favor when such deliveries shook Snell’s stump. Tapping turned things into the Saurashtra way.