LAST five Karnataka wickets frustrated Vidarbha bowlers for more than 70 overs but left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey’s fifth wicket of the innings ensured that the hosts take three points in their Under-25 Col CK Nayudu Trophy Group E drawn game at VCA’s Kalamna ground on Wednesday.

In response to Vidarbha’s 619-9 declared, Karnataka, who started the final day at 302-5 in 101 overs, batted for 70.1 overs before being bowled out for 559 in 171.1 overs. The lower half fought with two centuries and a fifty but finally fell short by 60 runs. In case, first innings of both the teams were not completed, they would have got one point each.

Dubey (66.1-10-182-5), who bowled more than twice the number of overs bowled by any other bowler (Praful Hinge 33-6-90-2), cleaned up Vidyadhar Patil (74; 100b, 6x4, 4x6) while the batter was going strong to signal the end. In the company of last man Aditya Goyal (19*; 50b, 2x4), Patil added 75 runs for the tenth wicket. Starting the day with their personal scores of 69 and 67 respectively, skipper Kishan Bedare (103; 199b, 12x4, 3x6) and MS Bhandage (160; 170b, 17x4, 8x6) duly completed their hundreds adding 166 runs from 200 balls for the sixth wicket partnership. Dubey got rid of both of them in an identical fashion (lbw).

First, he removed the skipper when the batter just completed his hundred. But Bhandage and stumper Kruthik Krishna (30) continued till the former was also trapped. Two more wickets fell soon. Krishna edged Hinge for wicketkeeper Aniket Pande and Dubey cleaned up Varun Rao for one (484-9).

Bhute, Tekan in team for Himachal game VCA’s Senior Selection Committee, led by Chairman Suhas Phadkar replaced injured pacer Darshan Nalkande and Sanmesh Deshmukh, who took two and one wicket respectively against Karnataka, with Nachiket Bhute and Dushant Tekan for match against Himachal Pradesh to be played in Amtar (HP) from February 5-8.