On Day 1,the opener Shiv Gautam struck a fine century to help Jharkhand post 306 for four against Himachal Pradesh in the  Group C Ranji Trophy cricket league match in Ranchi today.

Winning the toss and electing to bat at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium Complex, Jharkhand lost a couple of early wickets.

However,the 154-run third-wicket partnership between Gautam (122) and Saurabh Tiwary (79) gave the opening day honours to the hosts.

Fast baller Rishi Dhawan bagged two wickets, while left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma and leg-spinner Prashant Chopra picked a wicket apiece.

Scores in Brief:

Jharkhand 306/4 in 91 overs (Shiv Gautam 122, Saurabh Tiwary 79; Jaggi 43 not out; Rishi Dhawan 2-67).