NFRSA Build Lead as Swarupam Slams Impressive Century in Nuruddin final

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: A captain’s knock from Swarupam Purkayastha helped NFRSA secure a crucial 36-run first-innings lead against Guwahati in the final of the Nuruddin Senior Inter-District Cricket Tournament at the ACA Stadium here today.

Replying to Guwahati’s first-innings total 213, NFRSA were bowled out for 249. Swarupam played a composed and stylish innings of 143, steering his side out of early trouble.

NFRSA’s innings got off to a disastrous start this morning as they lost wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 8 for 4. Swarupam then walked in and steadied the innings with remarkable determination and patience. He received valuable support from Sibsankar Roy, Parvez Aziz and Abhilash Gogoi.

Swarupam and Sibsankar began the recovery with a vital 94-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Although Sibsankar (37) departed after the team reached 102, Swarupam continued to anchor the innings and added another useful 47 runs with Parvez Aziz, who contributed 21.

Later, a crucial 52-run stand for the eighth wicket between Swarupam and Abhilash Gogoi (34) ensured NFRSA gained the first-innings advantage.

Despite wickets falling at the other end, Swarupam remained calm and carried the innings almost single-handedly. He was eventually dismissed as the last wicket of the innings after scoring a superb 143 off 228 deliveries, an innings studded with 16 boundaries and three sixes.He spent 322 minutes on the wicket.

Among the Guwahati bowlers, captain Kunal Sarma claimed three wickets, while Akash Sengupta and Rohit Singh picked up two wickets each. The remaining wickets were shared by Abdul Aziz Quraishi and Sumit Kashyap.

At stumps, Guwahati were 11 without loss in their second innings and still trailing by 25 runs.

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