<p class="title">Hanuma Vihari on Friday scripted history by becoming the first player to score a hat-trick of hundreds in the Irani Cup, helping Rest of India rally and set Vidarbha a tricky 280-run target here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Enjoying a good run of form, the 25-year-old Vihari created the record with a single down the ground on the fourth day, his second century of the match and third straight in the Irani Cup.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The India player had scored 183 for Rest of India during last year's Irani Cup match against Vidarbha, who recently retained the Ranji Trophy with another exemplary showing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Besides Vihari's 180, India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane made 87 and Shreyas Iyer raced to a 52-ball 61, helping Rest of India declare their second innings at 374 for three, a day after conceding a big first-innings lead.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Needing 280 for an outright win, Ranji champions Vidarbha were 37 for one at close of play, still 243 runs shy of the target with nine wickets in hand.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While Akshay Karnewar's gutsy century on the third day powered Vidarbha to a 95-run first-innings lead, Rest of India rode on a third-wicket partnership of 229 runs between Vihari and Rahane to grab the initiative on the penultimate day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Starting from an overnight score of 102 for two, Vihari and Rahane added 110 in the morning session, and then put together a further 63 before Rahane was dismissed. By that time, Vidarbha had fallen behind.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Thereafter, Iyer took the attack to Vidarbha as Rest of India looked for quick runs before the declaration. Iyer smashed a six and a four off left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate, and then did the same to paceman Rajneesh Gurbani in the next over.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When left-arm spinner Karnewar came into the attack, Iyer whacked him for another 10 runs to reach his half-century in just 45 balls. Vihari too used the long handle to good effect after reaching his 150.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Vihari struck 19 fours and four sixes during his 300-ball knock, while Iyer smashed five boundaries and four sixes. During his stay in the middle, senior pro Rahane found the fence six times and cleared it once.</p>
<p class="title">Hanuma Vihari on Friday scripted history by becoming the first player to score a hat-trick of hundreds in the Irani Cup, helping Rest of India rally and set Vidarbha a tricky 280-run target here.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Enjoying a good run of form, the 25-year-old Vihari created the record with a single down the ground on the fourth day, his second century of the match and third straight in the Irani Cup.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The India player had scored 183 for Rest of India during last year's Irani Cup match against Vidarbha, who recently retained the Ranji Trophy with another exemplary showing.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Besides Vihari's 180, India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane made 87 and Shreyas Iyer raced to a 52-ball 61, helping Rest of India declare their second innings at 374 for three, a day after conceding a big first-innings lead.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Needing 280 for an outright win, Ranji champions Vidarbha were 37 for one at close of play, still 243 runs shy of the target with nine wickets in hand.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While Akshay Karnewar's gutsy century on the third day powered Vidarbha to a 95-run first-innings lead, Rest of India rode on a third-wicket partnership of 229 runs between Vihari and Rahane to grab the initiative on the penultimate day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Starting from an overnight score of 102 for two, Vihari and Rahane added 110 in the morning session, and then put together a further 63 before Rahane was dismissed. By that time, Vidarbha had fallen behind.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Thereafter, Iyer took the attack to Vidarbha as Rest of India looked for quick runs before the declaration. Iyer smashed a six and a four off left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate, and then did the same to paceman Rajneesh Gurbani in the next over.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When left-arm spinner Karnewar came into the attack, Iyer whacked him for another 10 runs to reach his half-century in just 45 balls. Vihari too used the long handle to good effect after reaching his 150.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Vihari struck 19 fours and four sixes during his 300-ball knock, while Iyer smashed five boundaries and four sixes. During his stay in the middle, senior pro Rahane found the fence six times and cleared it once.</p>