In a recent knockout stage game of the Ranji Trophy 2021/22, Bengal created a world record in first-class cricket. They become the first team with nine 50+ scores in a first-class innings.
It was the match between Bengal and Jharkhand in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy at Bengaluru. Bengal were sent to bat first, where they scored 773/7 (decl.) in the first innings of the game.
All the top nine batters of the Bengal team managed to score at least 50 runs in that innings, which ran for 218.4 overs. Opener Abhishek Raman, who was once retired hurt for 41 runs on opening day, later came to bat on day two and stretched his score to 61 runs.
Raman’s opening batting partner, skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran also scored 65 runs in that innings.
The next two batters, Sudip Kumar Gharami and Anustup Majumdar hit centuries for Bengal. While Sudip scored 186 runs, Anustup was out after scoring 117 runs.
Experienced Manoj Tiwary scored 73 runs while wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel hit 68 runs. Shahbaz Ahmed also managed to score 78 runs.
Sayan Mondal and Akash Deep both remained not out on 53 runs, as the no.9 batter Akash Deep completed his fifty in just 18 balls. During his fiery knock, Akash Deep hit only eight sixes.
Bengal 1st innings scorecard
Player | Dismissals/Non-dismissals | Runs (Balls) |
Abhishek Raman | st Kushagra b Roy | 61 (109) |
Abhimanyu Easwaran (c) | lbw b Mishra | 65 (124) |
Sudip Kumar Gharami | c Kushagra b Shukla | 186 (380) |
Anustup Majumdar | c sub (Bal Krishna) b Nadeem | 117 (194) |
Manoj Tiwary | c Utkarsh Singh b Mishra | 73 (173) |
Abishek Porel (wk) | c Kushagra b Mishra | 68 (111) |
Shahbaz Ahmed | c Kushagra b Nadeem | 78 (124) |
Sayan Mondal | Not out | 53 (85) |
Akash Deep | Not out | 53 (18) |
Bengal broke 129-year-old record
It was the first time a team experienced nine 50+ scores in a first-class innings. The previous record for most 50+ scores in a first-class innings was eight, which happened only once long back in 1893.
When Australia toured England in 1893, one of their first-class matches was against Oxford and Cambridge Universities Past and Present at Portsmouth in July-August 1893. In the first innings of that game, Australians scored 843 runs, where a total of eight batters recorded 50+ scores, including three centuries.
Recently, Surrey came very close to equaling Australians’ eight 50+ scores record when they had seven 50+ scores against Kent to record the highest total in a first-class innings without a century (671/9 decl.). In that declared innings, Daniel Worrall remained not out for 44 runs as his six more runs would help their team to equal the 129-year-old record.
Bengal comfortably reached the semi-final
Coming back to the Ranji Trophy match, Bengal later bowled out Jharkhand for 298 runs. Bengal then decided to bat and scored 318 for 7 (decl.) in their second innings before the match was drawn. In their second innings of this game, only Manoj Tiwary managed to score 50+ runs as the right-handed batter scored 136 runs before getting out.
Due to having a huge lead at the end of the first innings battle (475 runs), Bengal comfortably reached the semi-final of this Ranji Trophy season. In the semi-final of this competition, they will face Madhya Pradesh.
