Lower order helps Rovers recovery

Bowlers Syed Mohammed (62) and Piyush Chawla (59 batting) defied the Vijay bowlers after Jolly Rovers slumped to 82 for five. Opening batsman Lokeshwar held on grimly to make 62 off 177 balls with eight fours and by the time he was sixth out in a score of 171, the Rovers revival had started. 

Lokeswar added 89 for the sixth wicket with Syed Mohammed, who faced 149 balls hitting seven fours and a six. The fall of Mohammed at 200 seemed to end the Rovers resistance but former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla had other ideas. 

He hit three sixes and six fours in his half-century (59 batting) and was the dominant partner in a stand of 63 off 93 balls for the eighth wicket with J Kaushik (10). L Vignesh dismissed Kaushik in the last over of the day. 

Earlier, electing to bat on a true wicket, Jolly Rovers lost Abhinav Mukund in the first over bowled by L Vignesh. Lokeswar and Anirudh (25) put on 46 runs for the second wicket before leftarm spinner Rahil Shah picked up the first of his three wickets in the Rovers slump before lunch. 

Brief scores: Jolly Rovers 263/8 in 89.4 overs (Lokeswar 62, Syed Mohammed 62, Piyush Chawla 59 batting, Rahil  3/67, Malolan an 3/ 83)