Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 15: Superb half-centuries by opener Nipun Verma and all-rounder Auqib Nabi, besides a valuable contribution of 41 runs by middle-order batsman Mohammad Haziq Bhat helped Jammu and Kashmir to reach respectable 239/7 against Punjab on day-2 of the ongoing 4-day match of Cooch Behar Under-19 Boys Cricket Tournament at GGM Science College Hostel ground, here today.
Now, J&K is 61 runs away from the Punjab’s first innings total of 310 runs and has three wickets in hand.
Auqib Nabi was unbeaten on 50 runs, while Abid Mushtaq was at the crease with 5 runs when the stumps were drawn today.
Earlier, J&K openers Nipun Verma (66) and Suryansh Raina started the innings with flair to score 25 in 6.4 overs, before Suryansh was caught by Akul Partap Pandove at his individual score of 13 runs off 20 balls, studded with 2 boundaries. Then came the valuable partnership of 50 runs between Nipun and young Sahil Lotra, who was trapped LBW by Pardeep Yadav in the 21st over at his individual score of 24 runs including 4 delectable boundaries.
Skipper Shubham Singh Pundir, who came at number 4 and is known for scoring big runs, once again failed to convert a decent start to decent innings, scoring just 21 runs with three boundaries. It were Haziq (41) and Auqib unbeaten (50) who helped J&K to reach a respectable total. For Punjab, Mayank Markande was the pick of the bowlers, who took 4 important wickets by conceding 41 runs in his marathon spell of 27 overs, while Jagjit Singh bagged 2 wickets and R Bhagat claimed one.
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