Ranji: Karnataka rout Mumbai to enter semis; Delhi and Bengal in control

Karnataka inflicted an innings and 20 runs defeat on Mumbai with more than a day to spare in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final in Nagpur on Sunday to move into the semi-finals in convincing fashion.

Karnataka, who took a huge 397-run first innings lead over Mumbai by scoring a massive 570 after bundling out the latter for a paltry 173, bowled out the 41-time champions for 377 in 114.5 overs in the second innings to complete a comprehensive victory on day four of the five-day game at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha.

Surya Kumar Yadav made a defiant 108, off 180 balls with 16 fours and one six, before he was run out in the pre-lunch session to open the doors for eight-time title winners Karnataka to press ahead and complete the rout.

Akash Parkar made 65, adding 98 runs for the fourth wicket with Yadav after the two batsmen commenced the day with Mumbai on 120 for three.

Parkar also added 52 runs with Siddhesh Lad for the fifth wicket before being dismissed by off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham.

Captain Vinay Kumar, who bagged a hat-trick in his six wicket haul in the first innings, got two crucial wickets -- those of crisis man Lad for 31 and rival captain Aditya Tare for a duck -- before off spinner Gowtham scythed through the lower order to finish with a haul of 6 for 104.

There was some resistance towards the end when debutant Shivam Dube, who bats left-handed but bowls with his right, clouted four sixes and seven fours in making a brisk 71 in 91 balls and brought Mumbai close to avoiding the innings loss.

Dube, who also bagged a five-wicket haul in the Karnataka innings and became only the third Mumbai player to take five wickets and hit a half-century on debut, was finally caught at long on off Dube while trying to launch the bowler for his second six in the same over.

He had smacked leg spinner Shreyas Gopal for three other sixes and added 44 runs for the tenth wicket with last man and fellow-debutant Shivam Malhotra (0 in 18 balls) for company before falling to signal an end to his and Mumbai’s fight.

Brief scores:

Mumbai 173 and 377 (Surya Kumar Yadav 108, Akash Parkar 65, Shivam Dube 71; K Gowtham 6 for 104) lost to Karnataka 570 by an innings and 20 runs.

Chatterjee's double helps Bengal close in on semis

Young right-hander Writtick Chatterjee struck an unbeaten double hundred as Bengal virtually killed the Ranji Trophy quarter-final contest against defending champions Gujarat with a day's play left, in Jaipur.

After Abhimanyu Easwaran (114) had done the primary job of deflating the Gujarat bowlers on the third day, relatively unknown Chatterjee took the centrestage scoring a career-best 213 with Bengal making Gujarat bite the dust with a total of 483 for four at stumps on Day 4.

Easwaran duly completed his second century of the match -- the seventh ton in his 30-match first-class career before Chatterjee took centre stage.

With an overall lead of 613, the fifth and final day's play is as inconsequential as it can be unless Manoj Tiwary attempts go for an outright win.

If he intends to frustrate the last year's champions further, then he might well give Chatterjee a chance to have a shot at triple hundred.

Chatterjee's emergence as a dependable middle-order batsman has been a big plus for Bengal this season.

He scored an unbeaten 102 -- his maiden first-class hundred in the final group league game against Goa. That was also a second innings hundred like the one in Jaipur.

So far Chatterjee has faced 357 balls and has hit 23 boundaries and a six.

He has been a prolific club-level performer for Bhowanipore for a while but this is the first season, where he is showing signs of graduating to the first-class level as a batsman.

Before the last two matches, his claim to fame was getting Tamil Nadu's final wicket in a low-scoring thriller at the Chepauk, during the 2013-14 season.

It was an inspired gamble by the then skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla on a rank turner that had paid off.

After Easwaran was caught and bowled by Iswar Chaudhary having shared a 121-run stand, Chatterjee added another 166 runs with skipper Tiwary (59) for the third wicket before he added 88 runs for the fourth wicket with Shreevats Goswami (32).

Brief Scores:

Bengal 354 and 483/4 (W Chatterjee 213 not out, A Easwaran 114) vs Gujarat 224

Delhi in control against MP

Bowlers put Delhi on course for a memorable win after bundling out Madhya Pradesh for 283 in their second innings, on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final, in Vijaywada.

Delhi, who are chasing 217 for victory, were eight for no loss at stumps.

Pacer Vikas Tokas (3/64) and left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra (4/59) did the bulk of the damage on day four to put their team in a strong position.

MP, resuming the day 37 for two, were on the backfoot straightaway on day four with the fall of Shubham Sharma and Naman Ojha.

Puneet Datey (60) and Devendra Bundela (33) then shared a 100-run stand, providing their team some much needed momentum before getting out in a space of four balls to make it 153 for six.

First innings centurion Harpreet Singh came to MP's rescue  once again with a fighting 78 off 126 balls. He also got good support from Mihir Hirwani (22) and Ankit Sharma (18) in taking his team past the 250-run mark.

Brief scores:

MP: 338 and 283 (Harpreet 78; Mishra 4/59) vs Delhi 405 all out and 8/0.

Vidarbha build lead to inch closer to semis

Centuries from captain Faiz Fazal (119) and Apoorv Wankhade (107) enabled Vidarbha take a firm control of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Kerala at the end of Day 4 in Surat.

At the close of play on the penultimate day, Vidarbha were comfortably placed at 431 for six, with an overall lead of 501 runs.

Resuming on 77 for one, overnight batsman Fazal, resuming on 51, went on score a 119 that included 15 hits to the fence.

Wasim Jaffer (58) and Ganesh Satish (65) contributed with half-centuries each, while lower-order batsman Wankhade's quickfire 107 that came off just 94 deliveries, studded with six boundaries and five sixes, put the hosts in the driver's seat.

Akshay Wadkar was unbeaten on 20 and Karn Sharma was on 4 when the stumps were drawn.

With Vidarbha already having taken a first-innings lead, they have all but made it to the semis.

For Kerala, Jalaj Saxena chipped in with three for 106.

Brief scores:

Vidarbha 246 & 431/6 in 124 overs (Faiz Fazal 119, Apoorv Wankhade 107, Ganesh Satish 65, Wasim Jaffer 58; Jalaj Saxena 3/106) vs Kerala 1st innings 176