First Class: Pandey,Tiwary and Menaria double centurions

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 12: Manish Pandey of India bats during the Emerging Players Tournament match between the AIS and India at Endeavour Park on August 12, 2011 in Townsville, Australia.

Batsmen feasted in Mumbai and Delhi as the hard-hitting Manish Pandey 200* (250) and Rajasthan’s Ashok Menaria 230 (408) piled on the runs in the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai and Karnataka locked horns at the Brabourne with the visitors amassing 635 aided byManish Pandey’s double ton and Amit Verma‘s 173.

Vinay Kumar and Mithun further frustrated Mumbai with their flamboyant batting. Mithun hit four sixes in his cameo 0f 45. Ankeet Chavan took 3 wickets with Abdulla and Powar sharing four between them. Mumbai were 176/3 at lunch on Day 3 with Abhishek Nayar unbeaten on 83*. Test recruit Rohit Sharma got to a fluent 64 off 83 balls before he was out bowled by Mithun.

Defending Champions Rajasthan went on their merry ways against Railways, scoring 521 in the first innings. Recovering from a spot of bother at 2/17, Robin Bist (167) and Ashok Menaria (230) creamed a gallant 398 run partnership. Railways replied with 130/2 at Lunch with opener SS Shukla batting at 70*.

Manoj Tiwary wasn’t left behind as he joined the club with 267 against Madya Pradesh in Bengal’s 496 at Kolkata.