Agarkar, Kulkarni bowl Mumbai to the brink of victory

Nasik, Jan 12 (UNI) Medium pacer Ajit Agarkar and left armer Nilesh Kulkarni had Maharashtra staring defeat in the face as the hosts reached 148 for six in their second innings after following on 325 runs behind on the third day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group 'B' match against Mumbai at the Golf Club ground here today.

Mumbai also made near certain their place in the semi-finals after starting off the season with three losses.

At close of play on the third day, Sairaj Bahutule with zero was at the crease with Mansingh Nigde falling on the last ball of the day to Nilesh Kulkarni.

Earlier in the morning, Maharashtra resuming at their overnight score of 99 for four, were rocked by a superb spell of fast bowling by Ajit Agarakar as he took four more wickets today to help dismiss Maharashtra for 190 with only S Sriram with 31 and Sairaj Bahutule with 26 offering some kind of resistance. The Mumbai fielding was also top class with the fielders supporting their bowlers with some superb catches. The best catch being that taken by Rohit Sharma diving in front of him at point to dismiss Satyajit Satbhai for five.

Agarkar with his tenth five wicket haul in first class cricket was the star for Mumbai and was well supported by Ramesh Powar and Abhishek Nair with two wickets a piece. Nilesh Kulkarni took the final wicket.

Following on, Maharashtra again ran into Ajit Agarkar, who was not resting on his first innings heroics as he dimissed Dheeraj Jadhav and Hrishikesh Kanitkar and with Swapnil Hazare getting the wicket of Harshad Kadiwale, the hosts were in all sorts of trouble at 24 for three.

However, a fighting 89-run fourth wicket partnership between Yogesh Takwale and S Sriram, both making 52, delayed the inevitable.

With the two looking set, Muzumdar turned to the experience left arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni and he delivered when he got rid of Takwale for 52. Takwale, trying to sweep the lanky spinner was clean bowled. His knock of 52 came in a stay of 112 balls with seven hits to the fence.

S Sriram, who was also looking dangerous coming down the track to the spinners, lost concentration after reaching his individual 50 and went down the track to Kulkarni who beat him in flight to offer Vinayak Samant an easy stumping. Sriram made his 52 in 113 balls with six boundaries and a six.

Kulkarni then snared Mansingh Nigde in the last over of the day the outside edge going straight to Wasim Jaffer in the slips. Nigde made 15 with Maharashtra on 148 for six still needing a further 177 runs to make Mumbai bat again with a day and four wickets in hand.

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