MuMbai notch up 302 for three on day one

Nasik, Jan 10 (UNI) Sahil Kukreja cracked a maiden Ranji ton and along with Wasim Jaffer put on 162 runs to put Mumbai on roal to a mammoth first innings total against Maharashtra in the crucial Ranji Trophy Super League Group 'B' match at the Golf Club ground here today.

At close of play on the first day, Mumbai batting first after winning the toss had reached 302 for three with Hiken Shah on 69 and Rohit Sharma on 15 at the crease.

Mumbai started off slowly as the openers Wasim Jaffer and Sahil Kukreja saw off the new ball taking 20 overs to reach 50. The openers displayed a lot of patience as the Maharashtra new ball bowlers constantly pitched the ball outside the off stump after the match had started half an hour late due to overnight dew on the pitch.

Kukreja was the more aggressive in the beginning as he took a liking to Anupam Sanklecha as he pulled and drove him with precision.

However, Jaffer who was finding the middle of the bat but was unable to beat the field exploded as soon as the Maharashtra captain and leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule came on, hitting him straight for a six and a four in one over and then in the next, hitting him for another huge six to reach his half century before Kukreja.

Jaffer after looking good fell for a chanceless 78 when left arm spinner S Sriram beat him in flight as he went to play the drive but ended up giving a tame return catch to Sriram. Jaffer made 78 from 144 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. Mumbai were then 162 for one.

Hiken Shah, the new man in, playing in only his second Ranji match, proceeded to send the Maharashtra bowlers on a leather hunt as his cover drives and onside flicks scorched the turf to the boundary.

Sahil, at the other end, was given a life on 91 when wicketkeeper Satyajit Satbhai missed an easy stumping off S Sriram.

Sahil then completed his 100, but then in an attempt to increase the run rate fell to Anupam Sanklecha with Harshad Khadiwale taking a good running catch on the squareleg boundary. Kukreja made 114 off 218 balls and hit 15 fours in his innings with Mumbai at 249 for two.

Mumbai's skipper Amol Muzumdar did not take advantage of the perfect batting wicket as Hrishikesh Kanitkar took a good catch at first slip pf Sairaj Bahutule for just 11.

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