UP pressing for innings victory

Defending champion Uttar Pradesh were in sight of a sensational win after reducing Andhra 65 for six while following on in their second innings in their last Ranji Trophy Super Division league match in Kanpur on Thursday.

The defending champions, fighting to avoid relegation, bundled out the visitors for 111 to amass a first innings lead of 235 runs on the second day at the Kamla Club ground.

Andhra failed to cope up with the pressure and lost the top order cheaply.

At close, skipper Y Venugopala Rao on 25 and K S Shahabudding on five were at the crease.

Earlier, UP made 346 runs in their first innings with the help of fine half-centuries from Suresh Raina (54), Ravikant Shukla(54) and Mohd. Amir (70).

Andhra are still 170 runs behind with four wickets in hand.

UP resumed the day with its first innings at 155 for four.

They soon lost overnight batsman Raina who could add only four more runs to his first day's score.

Praveen Kumar made a valuable 41 with three hits to the rope and three over it in 27 balls.

Thereafter, Shukla and Amir took control of the proceedings and featured in a 95-run partnership for the eighth wicket.