Kottayam: Defending champions Gujarat huffed and puffed to a four-wicket win over Kerala in their Ranji Trophy Group B match at Nadiad on Tuesday.
The hosts, resuming on 22/1, made heavy weather of the modest target of 105 in the first session of the final day.
Gujarat were comfortably placed at 75/3 before losing three quick wickets to slump to 81/6. Captain Parthiv Patel (18 not out) and Chirag Gandhi (11 not out) took them home with an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 27. Chirag had scored a vital 91 in the first innings.
Spinners Akshay Chandran and Jalaj Saxena scalped a couple each while Kerala skipper Sachin Baby picked up a wicket with his part-time off spin.
Gujarat bagged six points from their opening match, while Kerala remain on six from two games.
Only the top two teams from the seven-team group will advance to the quarterfinals.
Kerala next play former champions Rajasthan in Thiruvananthapuram from October 24.
Brief scores: Kerala 208 and 203 lost to Gujarat 307 and 108/6 in 42.3 overs (Priyank Panchal 30).
Points: Gujarat 6; Kerala 0.
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