Vijay Hazare trophy: UP beat Baroda as Jurel leads charge with 160 of 101 balls

Kanpur: A scintillating unbeaten knock of 160 by Dhruv Chand Jurel, backed by 2 century-plus partnerships, powered Uttar Pradesh to a commanding 54-run victory over Baroda in a Vijay Hazare Trophy (List A) match in Rajkot on Monday.Put in to bat, Uttar Pradesh posted an imposing 369 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs. Jurel was the standout performer, smashing 160 not out off just 101 balls, an innings studded with 15 boundaries and 8 towering sixes. He shared crucial partnerships with skipper Rinku Singh and Prashant Veer to lift UP to a formidable total. UP got a steady start through Abhishek Goswami and Aryan Juyal, who added 77 runs for the opening stand. The partnership was broken when Aryan Juyal was caught by Shivalik Sharma off Raj Limbani for 26. Abhishek Goswami soon followed, also caught by Shivalik off Limbani, after scoring 51 off 51 balls. Priyam Garg failed to capitalise and departed for 3, leaving UP at 92 for 3. Jurel then took charge alongside captain Rinku Singh as the duo counter-attacked the Baroda bowlers, adding 131 runs in 120 balls for the 4th wicket. The stand ended when Rasikh Salam dismissed Rinku Singh, who made 63 off 67 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes. Sameer Rizvi's poor run with the bat continued as he managed only 11 before giving a return catch to Limbani. Jurel found another effective partner in Prashant Veer, and the pair unleashed a late onslaught, adding 122 runs in just 52 balls. Jurel alone contributed 75 runs off 29 balls during the stand. Aryan Chavda eventually broke the partnership, removing Prashant Veer for 35 off 23 balls, which included 3 fours and 2 sixes. Chasing 370, Baroda fought hard but fell short, finishing at 315 for the loss of all wickets in 50 overs. Openers Shashwat Rawat and Shivalik Sharma provided a brisk start with a 72-run partnership. Sameer Rizvi's off-spin turned the tide as he removed Shivalik for 30 and then dismissed JM Sharma for 2. Zeeshan provided support from the other end, accounting for Priyanshu Moliya (12). Rawat continued to bat confidently but was eventually caught and bowled by Rinku Singh after scoring 60 off 69 balls, including 7 boundaries, reducing Baroda to 124 for 4. Captain Krunal H Pandya and Vishnu Solanki then mounted a strong fightback, adding 95 runs in 90 balls — the best partnership of the innings. Zeeshan broke the stand when wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal stumped Solanki for a quick 46 off 28 balls, which featured 4 fours and 3 sixes. With little support from the lower order, Pandya tried to accelerate but was caught by Zeeshan off Prashant Veer after scoring a valiant 82 off 77 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and 2 sixes. Baroda were eventually bowled out for 315, handing UP a 54-run win. UP coach Arvind Kapoor lauded his batting unit after the match, stating that the team consistently crossed the 350-run mark. He praised the key contributions of Jurel, Rinku Singh and Prashant Veer for setting up another dominant total. Brief score: UP – 369 for 7 (Abhishek Goswami 51, Aryan Juyal 26, Dhruv Chand Jurel 160 no, Priyam Garg 3, Rinku Singh 63, Sameer Rizvi 11, Prashant Veer 35, Vipraj Nigam 0, Zeeshan Ansari 1 no; Rasikh Salam 1 for 102, Raj Limbani 4 for 74, Aryan Chavda 2 for 46). Baroda – 315 (Shashwat Rawat 60, Shivalik Sharma 30, JM Sharma 2, Priyanshu Moliya 12, K H Pandya 82, Vishnu Solanki 43, Shanu Pania 8, A Sheth 46, Raj Limbani 12, Rasikh Salam 6, Aryan Chavda 4 no; Kunal Tyagi 1 for 44, Sameer Rizvi 2 for 43, Vipraj Nigam 2 for 67, Zeeshan Ansari 3 for 53, Rinku Singh 1 for 29, Prashant Veer 1 for 69).