Rajkot: Kerala rode on sparkling hundreds by openers Krishna Prasad and Rohan Kunnummal to outplay Maharashtra by 153 runs and enter the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy national one-day championship here on Saturday.
Though Maharashtra began their daunting chase of 384 spiritedly, they lost their way once the 139-run opening stand between Kaushal S Tambe and Om Bhosale was broken. Tambe was run out for 50 and soon Bhosale (78) fell off leggie Shreyas Gopal's bowling.
Basil Thampi accounted for captain Kedar Jadhav for 11 and Kerala were right on top. Maharashtra lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 230 in 37.4 overs.
Shreyas and off-spinner Vaisakh Chandran scalped four and three respectively.
Kerala will take on Rajasthan in the quarterfinals on Monday.
Put in to bat, Krishna Prasad and Rohan added 218 in 34.1 overs. Rohan, who scored his fourth hundred in List A cricket, hit 18 fours and a six in his 95-ball 120.
Krishan Prasad notched up his maiden ton in List A cricket off 114 balls. The 25-year-old made 144 off 137 balls, with the help of 13 fours and four sixes.
Captain Sanju Samson departed after a 25-ball 29. Vishnu Vinod (43 off 23 balls) and Abdul Bazith (35 not out off 18 balls) scored quickly to take Kerala to a mammoth 383/4. The two put on 64 off just 30 balls for the fourth wicket.
Pacer Pradeep Dadhe, who claimed 1/56 from his 10 overs, was the lone Maharashtra bowler to have an economy rate of under six. Captain Kedar Jadhav tried six bowlers, including himself, on a placid track.
Brief scores: Kerala 383/4 in 50 overs (Krishna Prasad 144, Rohan Kunnummal 120) bt Maharashtra 230 in 37.4 overs (Om Bhosale 78, Kaushal Tambe 50; Shreyas Gopal 4/35, Vaisakh Chandran 3/39).
