Bengal put up a resistance and didn’t cave in at all on a turner at Thumba (in Thiruvananthapuram) on the final day of this Ranji Trophy clash. Yet, that wasn’t enough as Kerala eventually prevailed over them with a 109-run win in the game, moving up to No.3 in the group B standings.

For Bengal, their hopes of making the knockout are over with back-to-back defeats.

A stiff target of 449 was never going to be easy for a batting line-up that lacks solidity. In addition, the turning track made matters harder for Bengal, who were already two wickets down for 77 going into the deciding day of the game.

Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, top scorer in the first innings with 72, hit another 50-plus score (65). But the situation Bengal were under, they needed more from Easwaran. Anustup Majumdar too didn’t last long.

Spinner all-rounder Jalaj Saxena picked up both batsmen to finish with a match-haul of 13 wickets.

But Shahbaz Ahmed (80 off 100 balls) hit back with a valiant knock that did give Bengal a little bit of hope. Shahbaz throwing caution to the winds with able support from Karan Lal (40) certainly put some pressure back in the Kerala camp.

Kerala were starting to feel the heat, till pacer Basil Thampi accounted for Lal to break the partnership. That was practically the end of Bengal’s resistance as they were all out for 339.

Brief scores: Kerala 363 & 265/6 decl. Bengal 180 & 339 (Shahbaz Ahmed 80, Abhimanyu Easwaran 65; Jalaj Saxena 4/104). Kerala won by 109 runs.