Qamran, Musaif fifties give J&K 104-run lead after Vanshaj’s 6-wicket haul

Srinagar, Aug 23: J&K tightened their grip over Baroda in their second match of the All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament, riding on Vanshaj Sharma’s six-wicket haul and fifties from Qamran Iqbal and Musaif Aijaz to take a first-innings lead of 104 runs on Saturday.

After bowling out Baroda for 176 on the opening day, J&K responded with 280 in 87.4 overs. Qamran Iqbal top-scored with a patient 81 off 175 balls, striking eight fours and a six, while Musaif Aijaz added a fluent 80 off 102 deliveries, featuring five boundaries and three sixes. The duo shared a crucial 158-run partnership for the second wicket after an early setback at 33 for 1.

Abid Mushtaq (49 off 60) provided valuable runs down the order, but J&K’s lower middle order faltered.

For Baroda, Aryan Chavda led the attack with 5 for 94 from 29 overs, while Pradip Yadav picked up 2 for 68 in 28 overs. Earlier, Vanshaj Sharma had been the star with the ball on Day 1, claiming 6 for 65 to dismantle Baroda’s batting line-up.

Brigadier Anil Gupta, a member of the BCCI Sub-Committee for JKCA, praised the team’s all-round effort on X (formerly Twitter), “Another 6-wicket haul by Vanshaj Sharma. Fantastic display of accurate spin bowling. Handy contributions from pacer Sunil Kumar & leggie Abdul Samad. JKCA has bundled out Baroda for 176. Well played, keep it up.”

With a lead of 100 runs on board at the end of the day, J&K will look to pick up early wickets when Baroda carries forward their innings on Day 3.