Goud and Joshi send Bengal crashing

Karnataka 216 for 9 (Goud 66, Bose 4-36) beat Bengal 184 (Joshi 4-28) by 32 runs
Scorecard

Ranadeb Bose's four-wicket haul went in vain as Bengal lost out © Cricinfo Ltd

Captain Yere Goud rescued Karnataka from a perilous 36 for 5 and set up a 32-run win over Bengal in the preliminary quarter-final of the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament in Dharamsala. Walking in at No.7, after Ranadeb Bose had ripped the top order apart, Goud shepherded the lower order and boosted Karnataka to 216.

He received good support from Thilak Naidu, Karnataka's wicketkeeper who has been in great form throughout the season. The duo added 77 for the seventh wicket and set the platform for a competitive total. Vinay Kumar's rapid 25 charged them past 200 and gave them a handy total to defend.

Bengal's top order put them on course - Wriddhiman Saha produced a patient 44 and strung together plucky stands with Subhomoy Das and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala. But Sunil Joshi, the former Indian left-arm spinner, triggered a middle-order collapse. From 123 for 3, Bengal fell to 184 all out with Joshi and Balachandra Akhil, the medium-pacer, scalping seven wickets between them.

The win enabled Karnataka to advance to the quarter-finals of the knock-out tournament while Bengal, runners up in the four-day Ranji Trophy, wee forced out.