Left-handed Hemang Badani made a patient 129 to help Elite 'C' score a commanding 426 in their first innings on the second day of the Duleep Trophy cricket match against Plate 'B' in Kochi on Friday.

Replying to Elite's mammoth total, Plate 'B' openers captain J Arunkumar (41 batting) and Sujith Somasundar (34 batting) did well to score 76 without being separated at close of play.

Resuming at their overnight score of 273 for 3, Elite 'C' received a jolt, losing Pankaj Dharmani after the batsman had added just one run to his overnight score of 72. He edged an easy catch to point fielder Venkatesh Prasad off Rakesh Dhruv.

Nikhil Doru, who repleaced Dharmani, gave ample support to Badani, who continued his good work. Badani, 99 overnight, executed some delightful shots through the covers and was looking well set for a big score, but Venkatesh Prasad got the breakthrough when the batsman edged a catch to keeper Ajay Ratra.

Badani's 342-ball knock consisted of 15 fours and two sixes.

Doru scored a useful 30 while Jyoti Yadav made a patient 41 with the help of five boundaries and a six.

Plate 'B' left-arm spinner Sreekumar Nair returned figures of 3-84 while Venkatesh Prasad claimed 2 for 36 and leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani 2 for 121.

Plate 'B' would have been in trouble had Jyoti Yadav taken a catch offered by Arunkumar, when he was on 30 and his side on 52, off Kulamani Parida.

Scoreboard

Elite 'C' (first innings):

S Parab c Nair b Hirwani 44

S S Das c Somasundar b Prasad 9

Y Goud c Hemanthkumar b Hirwani 34

H Badani c Ratra b Prasad 129

P Dharmani c Prasad b Dhruv 73

N Doru c Ratra b Sreeshanth 30

K Pawar c and b Nair 17

J Yadav c Bhardwaj b Nair 41

N Kulkarni c Prasad b Hemanthkumar 16

S K Trivedi lbw Nair 0

K Parida not out 0

Extras (b-12, lb-7, nb-14) 33

Total (all out, 149.2 overs) 426

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-84, 3-90, 4-276, 5-323, 6-349, 7-374, 8-420, 9-423.

Bowling: Prasad 17-4-36-2, Sreeshanth 13-1-49-1, Bundela 13-1-42-0, Sreekumar Nair 32.2-8-84-3, Hirwani 43-6-121-2, Dhruv 27-5-64-1, Hemanthkumar 4-1-11-1.

Plate 'B' (first innings):

J Arunkumar bating 41

Sujith Somasundar batting 34

Extras: (nb-1) 1

Total (for no loss, 30 overs) 76

Bowling: Trivedi 7-0-21-0, Yadav 3-0-12-0, Kulkarni 9-2-28-0, Parida 11-4-15-0.