Hosts Punjab defeated Services by six wickets with a day to spare to earn full four points from their Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match in Mohali on Friday.

Resuming at the overnight score of 228 for eight, A K Mohanty (61) and Arun Sharma (31) of Services tried to put up a resistance but were both dismissed by Vineet Sharma after they had added 63 runs to the team's total.

- RANJI TROPHY 2005-06

Services had conceded a first innings lead of 76 as the hosts had piled up 223 in reply to first innings score of 147 all out by the visitors. Services, in their second knock, scored 291 all out, setting a target of 216 for Punjab for a win.

Punjab relied on an unbeaten knock of 89 by Pankaj Dharmani to reach the target in 57.2 overs on the third day.

Earlier, Arun Sharma, overnight 3, was the first to go at his score of 31 and the scoreboard reading 290.

After the addition of one run, A K Mohanty was also clean bowled for 61, which included nine hits to the fence.

Punjab suffered an early setback when Muneesh Sharma (8) was caught by Sarabjit Singh off a delivery from Mohammed when the total was 10. Dinesh Mongia (16) also returned to the pavilion soon after.

Ravneet Ricky (42) and Reetinder Sodhi (11) added 47 runs for the third wicket before Ricky was dismissed on the total of 87.

After the exit of Sodhi (11), Dharmani and G Gupta played cautiously and added 100 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand to take Punjab to victory.

Dharmani's 89 contained 15 fours and a six while Gupta scored 24 with the help of three boundaries.

Scorecard:

Services first innings: 147
Punjab first innings: 223

Services 2nd innings:
R Narender Singh c Rajesh Sharma  b Malhotra         14
MP Reddy  lbw  b Rajesh Sharma       55
Jasvir Singh      c Sodhi            b Malhotra        11
Yashpal Singh                        b Mongia          49
S Tomar           c Uniyal           b Mongia          28
Sarabjit Singh    c Muneesh Sharma   b Malhotra         4
AK Mohanty                           b Sharma          61
F Mohammed                           b Uniyal          18
Pankaj Kumar      c Gupta            b Malhotra         1
J Arun Sharma                        b Sharma          31
SV Ghag           not out                               1
Extras  (b 1, lb 7, w 6, nb 4)                         18
Total  (all out, 85.5 overs, 363 mins)                291

FoW: 1-34, 2-77, 3-92, 4-158, 5-172, 6-172, 7-214, 8-215, 9-290, 10-291.

Bowling: Vineet Sharma 9.5-2-30-2, Amit Uniyal 15-3-39-1, Rajesh Sharma 18-4-83-1, Ishan Malhotra 23-4-79-4, Reetinder Sodhi 5-1-14-0, Mongia 15-4-38-2.

Punjab 2nd innings
RS Ricky         c Sarabjit Singh   b Arun Sharma         42
Muneesh Sharma   c Sarabjit Singh   b Mohammed             8
D Mongia                            b Mohammed            16
P Dharmani       not out                                  89
RS Sodhi         c Sarabjit Singh   b Mohanty             11
G Gupta          not out                                  24
Extras           (b 14, lb 1, w 1, nb 10)                 26
Total            (4 wickets, 57.2 overs)                 216

FoW: 1-10, 2-40, 3-87, 4-116.

Bowling: Fazil Mohammed 17-5-51-2, Pankaj Kumar 11-2-30-0, Sudharka Ghag 2-0-8-0, A K Mohanty 16.2-1-70-1, Yashpal Singh 3-2-2-0, Arun Sharma 8-1-40-1.

- RANJI TROPHY 2005-06