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Ranji Trophy giants, Mumbai, pulled off a thrilling one-wicket win over Tamil Nadu in the Group ‘B’ league encounter, at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Visiting skipper Dinesh Karthik's first innings knock of 167 went in vain as Mumbai chased down 236 for a win after fighting fifties from Shreyas Iyer (83) and Suryakumar Yadav (58).
Even after losing their top batsmen, Mumbai were looking well-placed at 202 for five, but Yadav's wicket spelled trouble for the hosts even as left-arm spinner Rahil Shah (4-78) and off-spinner Malolan Rangarajan (3-44) got down to business.
Karthik's first innings ton set the tone for the match as the visitors amassed 434 runs.
In reply, Mumbai rode on Siddhesh Lad's 150 to manage 294 runs.
The third innings saw a complete turnaround for Tamil Nadu as they were skittled out for 95 with left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar bagging a seven-wicket haul.
Mumbai now have 14 points from three matches and are very much in the race for a place in the knock-outs. Tamil Nadu have nine points from three matches with a win, a drawn game and a loss.
Brief Scores:
Tamil Nadu: 464 and 95 all out in 36 overs (Murali Vijay 29, Malola Rangarajan 33; Vishal Dabholkar 7-53)
Mumbai: 294 and 236/9 in 60.4 overs (Shreyas Iyer 83, Suryakumar Yadav 58; Rahil Shah 4-78, Malolan Rangarajan 3-44).
Debutant Pankaj helps Bengal bag 3 points
Kolkata: Skipper Manoj Tiwary continued his good form (83) while Pankaj Shaw scored a half-century on debut as Bengal managed to secure three points by virtue of their 8-4-run first innings lead in their rain-interrupted second Ranji Trophy group league encounter in Kolkata on Sunday.
In reply to the visitors’ first innings total of 198, Bengal scored 282 in 90.3 overs with Pankaj's 66-ball-52 laced with three fours and equal number of maximums being the most significant contribution on the final day.
Coming in to bat at 172 for five Wriddhiman Saha's (8) dismissal, 27-year-old Pankaj saw his skipper Tiwary depart for 83 with scorecard reading 190 for six and nine runs still required for the lead.
Along with former India U-19 player Aamir Gani (29), he added 45 runs en route ensuring three points safely.
In their second essay, Rajasthan were reduced to 15 for 3 in 6.2 overs but skipper Ashok Menaria played sensibly and remained unbeaten on 69 (174 balls; 12x4) to see through the final day and secure a point.
Both Bengal and Team Rajasthan now have four points but the former have played one match less in group A.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan: 198 & 146/5 in 57 overs (Ashok Menaria 69 not out).
Bengal: 282 in 90.3 overs (Manoj Tiwary 83, Abhimanyu Easwaran 53, Pankaj Shaw 52; Ajay Singh 3/72, Aniket Choudhary 2/32, Deepak Chahar 2/52). Match drawn. Bengal 3 points, Rajasthan 1.
Unmukt stars in Delhi's 4-wicket win against Haryana
New Delhi: Opener Unmukt Chand scored a gritty 99 to help Delhi register a four-wicket win against Haryana even as pacer Harshal Patel tried his best to defend the visitors' total on the fourth and final day of the Group ‘A’ match.
Delhi now have 14 points from three matches and are in contention for a place in the knock-outs.
Starting on their overnight score of 69 for no loss in pursuit of 224, Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir (20) and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohit Ahlawat (0) fell to Harshal's inswinger's after being trapped leg before but Unmukt did his best to ensure that the hosts bag 6 points at Feroz Shah Kotla.
Unmukt, who added two half-centuries -- 68 in the first innings -- to his first-class record in this game, stood strong with Nitish Rana (25) to stitch an 81-run partnership, but his wicket saw Delhi wobble again.
Rana and Chand's wickets in a space of 10 deliveries once again gave the Virender Sehwag-led Haryana hopes of an unlikely win.
But Milind Kumar (44 not out) and Pradeep Sangwan (11 not out) added a 42-run seventh-wicket partnership to make sure that Delhi survive to get their second outright win in three games so far.
In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Haryana were made to look strong on Day 3 after bundling out Delhi for 227 in the first innings and then Sehwag struck a fluent half-century to help the visitors give a competitive target to the hosts.
Delhi though again turned things around in the final session on Saturday with Gambhir and Unmukt giving the team a brisk start and raise hopes of an easy victory, which they ultimately did albeit with much difficulty.
Brief Scores:
Haryana: 195 and 265
Delhi: 227 and 225/6 in 68 overs (Unmukt Chand 99, Nitin Milind Kumar 44 not out; Harshal Patel 4-76)
Karnataka gain 3 points as match against Vidarbha ends in draw
Bengaluru: Karnataka earned three points on the basis of their first-innings lead over Vidarbha even as the match ended in a tame draw after Ravikumar Samarth and Karun Nair scored centuries for the hosts on the final day of a Group ‘A’ match.
Having gained a slender 40-run first innings lead, Karnataka scored 331 for three declared in their second essay on Sunday before reducing Vidarbha to 17 for no loss at the close of play.
Resuming on 93 for one, Samarth (121) and Nair (101 not out) put on an unbeaten 176 runs together for the fourth wicket to take the team past 330-run mark.
For Vidarbha, Swapnil Bandiwar bagged two wickets.
In Vidarbha's second innings, Faiz Fazal and Aditya Shanware were batting at six and seven, respectively when both the captains agreed to call off the day's play.
Karnataka now have seven points from three matches and Vidarbha have four points.
Brief scores:
Karnataka: 350 & 331 for 3 decl (Ravikumar Samarth 121, Karun Nair not out 101; Swapnil Bandiwar 2/50).
Vidarbha: 310 & 17 for no loss in 11 overs.
Andhra gain three points in a tame draw
Vizianagaram: KS Bharat (144), Ricky Bhui (116) and AG Pradeep (100) scored a century each as Andhra took the first innings lead over Baroda and gained three points in their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match on Sunday.
In reply to Baroda's first innings total of 302, Andhra scored 474 for six declared in their opening essay to take 172-run lead.
At the close of play on the fourth and final day, Baroda were 60 for two in their second innings.
Earlier on day four, resuming on 328 for three, overnight batsmen -- Bhui and Pradeep -- completed their centuries, besides putting on 120-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Thanks to centurion Bharat, Andhra had already crossed the Baroda's first innings total.
For Baroda, Sagar Mangalorkar (2/97) and Ketan Panchal (2/23) chipped in with two wickets each.
Brief scores:
Baroda: 302 & 60/2 (Kedar Devdhar 30 not out).
Andhra: 474 for six decl (KS Bharat 144, Ricky Bhui 116, AG Pradeep 100; Sagar Mangalorkar 2/97, Ketan Panchal 2/23).
Yuvraj, Manan hit centuries as Punjab earn three points
Chandigarh: Yuvraj Singh and Manan Vohra's centuries, Punjab took a solid first innings lead and earned three points from the drawn encounter against Gujarat in their Ranji Trophy Group B cricket match on Sunday.
In reply to Gujarat's first innings total of 467, Punjab scored 608 all out with skipper Yuvraj top-scoring with 187 runs off 233 balls, including 14 boundaries and seven sixes.
Resuming on 434 for five, overnight batsman Yuvraj, starting the day on 85, added 102 more runs to his personal score, while his unbeaten partner Siddarth Kaul also chipped in with crucial 43.
On Saturday, Vohra had scored 104 off 229 deliveries.
Gujarat, in their second innings, reached 135 for four before the stumps were drawn on the fourth and final day with Bhargav Merai (56) scoring a half-century.
Brief scores:
Gujarat: 467 & 135 for four (Bhargav Merai 56).
Punjab: 608 (Manan Vohra 104, Yuvraj Singh 187; Rujul Bhatt 8/151).
Anureet, Updhayay bundle UP out as Railways win by 282 runs
Ghaziabad: Railways’ new ball bowlers Anureet Singh (5/15) and Krishnakant Upadhyay (4/32) bundled out Uttar Pradesh for paltry 58 runs to pull off a fantastic 282-run victory in a Ranji Trophy group B league encounter, on Sunday.
Set a victory target of 341 on the final day, UP were looking to for a draw and a point as they were all-out in 42 overs with Himanshu Asnora (19) being only player to reach double digits.
Having failed to open his account in the first innings, UP’s Sarfaraz Khan was all at sea against moving ball as he played 85 deliveries to score five before offering a catch to Arnab Nandi off Anureet's bowling.
In the morning, Railways started the day at 155 for three and declared at 229 for four.
Brief Scores:
Railways: 375 & 229/4 (Faiz Ahmed 80, Ashish Singh 60)
Uttar Pradesh: 264 & 58 (Anureet Singh 5/15, Krishnakant Upadhyay 4/32). Points UP 6; Railways 0.
Bist strikes double ton as HP earn 3 points vs Hyderabad
Dharamsala: Robin Bist scored a career-best unbeaten 220 as Himachal Pradesh earned three points against Hyderabad from a Ranji Trophy group league (C) match that reached farcical proportions on the final day after the first hour in which the hosts got the lead.
Starting the final day at 402 for five in reply to Hyderabad's 434, Himachal Pradesh piled a mammoth 707 for eight before declaring in the final hours.
With 13 mandatory overs to be bowled, Hyderabad managed only two runs with openers Thiru Suman scoring one off 40 balls and Tanmay Agarwal scoring one off 38 balls before the captains shook hands.
Bist's 220 came off 343 balls with 23 fours and a six while Dhawan's 114 off 145 balls had 17 boundaries in it.
Brief Scores:
Hyderabad: 434 and 2/0 in 13 overs.
HP: 1st Innings 707/8 (Ankush Bains 161, Robin Bist 220 no, Rishi Dhawan 114).
Match Drawn Points HP 3 Hyderabad 1.
Jharkhand outplay Kerala by 133 runs
Malappuram: Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem bagged a seven-wicket haul to help Jharkhand outplay Kerala by 133 runs on the fourth and final day of the Group ‘C’ encounter.
Chasing 317 for a win at the Perintalmanna Cricket Stadium, the Sanju Samson-led Kerala were bundled out for 183 after the host batsmen failed to counter Nadeem's (7-64) spin.
Captain and pace spearhead Varun Aaron, who went wicketless in the second innings, had contributed with a five-wicket haul in the first essay.
Brief Scores:
Jharkhand: 202 and 262
Kerala: 148 and 183 all out in 63.5 overs (Akshay Kodoth 72; Shahbaz Nadeem 7-64).
Image: Rajasthan Captain Ashok Menaria plays a shot against Bengal during their Ranji Trophy match at Eden Garden in Kolkata on Sunday.
Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI