Ahmedabad: Read held a slender four-run lead over Gujarat with six wickets in hand at stumps on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match here Tuesday, after the hosts took a 115-run first-innings lead. Resuming at 205 for two, Gujarat were bowled out for 439 in reply to Read’s 324. Vedant Trivedi struck 108 off 171 balls, including 13 fours and a six, while Aarya Desai (94) and Urvil Patel (85) narrowly missed out on centuries. Harshal Patel added a late 60 off 92 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes. Badal Biswal was the pick of the Read bowlers, claiming five wickets for 118 runs.
In their second innings, Read reached 119 for four in 30 overs, with Sandeep Pattnaik unbeaten on 41 and Ninad Rathwa contributing 53. Gujarat pacer Arzan Nag waswalla took three wickets for 18 runs, keeping the contest finely poised ahead of the final day.
BRIEF SCORES:
Read 324 and 119/4 in 30 overs (Ninad Rathwa 53, Sandeep Pattnaik 41 not out; Arzan Nagwaswalla 3/18) lead Gujarat 439 in 106.4 overs (Vedant Trivedi 108, Aarya Desai 94, Urvil Patel 85, Harshal Patel 60; Badal Biswal 5/118) by 4 runs