Ranji Trophy 2010-11: Super League

[The Dark Horse]

Phew finally TN playing some cricket Mumbai 180-4 vs TN, Jaffer on 66*

[saneindian]

Unmukt Chand , a 17 year old hits 150!! His maiden first class 100. Mandeep Singh a 18 year old also hits his maiden 1st class 100. Rahane continues his consistent run. Good to see these youngsters prospering and doing well.

[ludhianvi]

Unmukt Chand , a 17 year old hits 150!! His maiden first class 100. Mandeep Singh a 18 year old also hits his maiden 1st class 100.

These two played against each other in finals of the Vinoo Mankad tournament just a while ago and also made their debuts this season and now both score their maiden centuries. Good to see these youngsters developing and doing well.

[Chandan]

ROUND VI, DAY TWO Karnataka vs Baroda Joshi guts Baroda, Karnataka eye outright win Former India spinner Sunil Joshi's four-wicket haul knocked the daylight out of Baroda's first innings reply and brightened Karnataka's prospect of an outright win in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match. Having restricted Karnataka to 257 in their first innings, Baroda hoped for a fitting reply but were bundled out for paltry 169 in their first essay with Joshi wreaking havoc with his slow balls, here at the Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground. Joshi was ably supported by medium pacers R Vinay Kumar and Sreenath Aravind, who shared four wickets between them to give the hosts a healthy first innings lead of 88 runs. In reply, Karnataka were 41 for one in 17 overs at stumps in their second essay, with opener KB Pawan (15) and Ganesh Satish (17) at crease. Resuming the second day at 185 for seven, Karnataka survived 20-odd overs before wilting for 257. Overnight batsmen Muralidheran Gautam (57) and Sunil Joshi (43) took the score to 221 before the former was caught by Pinal Shah off Bhargav Bhatt. Joshi was heading for a well-deserved half-century before his tenure was cut short by pacer Sankalp Vohra, who had him caught by Kedar Devdhar. Abhimanyu Mithun (22) was the last man to get out by Murtaja Vahora. For Baroda, Sankalp Vohra (4/65) and Bhargav Bhatt (3/65) shared seven wickets. In reply, the visitors could never really take off with Joshi spinning the web around the Baroda batsmen. Barring Kedar Devdhar (36) and opener Jaykishan Kolsawala (30), none of the visiting batsmen looked at ease against the turning balls delivered by the veteran. Joshi accounted for captain Pinal Shah (15), Ketan Panchal (12), Gagandeep Singh (0) and Murtaja Vahora (7). Karnataka now lead by 129 runs in their second innings with nine wickets remaining. Brief scores: Karnataka: 1st inning :257, 2nd inning 41/1 Baroda : 169 Delhi vs Railways Young Unmukt provides Delhi a slender lead with a splendid ton 17-year old opener Unmukt Chand hit his maiden first-class century as Delhi got a slender lead of 31 runs against city rivals Railways at stumps on the second day of the sixth round Ranji Trophy encounter being played at the Roshanara ground. In reply to Railways' modest first innings score of 259, Delhi fared marginally better courtesy Unmukt who scored 151 with the help of 19 boundaries and two sixes. The youngster who batted close to seven hours (418 minutes) facing 291 deliveries in the process was the only batsman who was hardly troubled by veterans Jai Prakash Yadav (5/88) and Sanjay Bangar (4/57). In fact the duo bowled to disciplined line as none of the other Delhi batsmen were even able to cross 40-run mark. Both skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Gaurav Chhabra scored 39 each. It was young Unmukt, who showed lot of maturity as he notched up his first three-figure mark after having scored half centuries against Saurashtra and Assam in the earlier matches. He didn't even let the seasoned pros like JP and Bangar dominate him as he hit both for a six each. The first over long-on and the next was over deep mid-wicket. He was finally out in the last over of the day being the ninth batsman of his team to be dismissed. "The match is still open. I would term this pitch as a sporting one where both batsmen and bowlers are getting a lot of help. I am happy that we have got the lead and I have been able to contribute for my team," said Unmukt, who is supposed to appear for his XIIth standard board exams next year. Brief scores: Railways : 1st inning- 259 Delhi : 1st inning : 290 Saurashtra vs Bengal Makvana's ton guides Saurashtra to 423 against Bengal Kamlesh Makvana notched up his maiden first class century and shared 128 runs for the seventh wicket with Rahul Dave (72) to propel Saurashtra to a first innings total of 423 against Bengal in their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match on Thursday. Coming in to bat at the number eight position, Makvana scored a patient 108 off 290 balls before retiring hurt. Makvana not only stitched a crucial partnership with Dave, who added just six runs to his overnight score, but also combined well with the tail-enders to take Saurashtra past the 400-run mark. For Bengal, Ashok Dinda (3/105) and Saurasish Lahiri (3/64) scalped three wickets apiece while Sourav Sarkar accounted for two rival batsmen. At stumps on day two of the four-day encounter, Bengal was 33 for the loss of one wicket. Opener Arindam Das (4) was the lone Bengal batsman to fall, bowled by Jayesh Odedra. When stumps were drawn wicket-keeper Sreevats Goswami was batting on 19 and giving him company at the crease was Dibyendu Chakrabarty on six. Earlier, resuming at 254 for six, Bengal tasted success early when Dave was caught by Goswami behind the stumps off Lahiri. But a resolute Makvana was in no mood to give up. He stitched two crucial partnerships -- first 56 runs for the eighth wicket with Saurya Sanandiya (35) and then 70 runs with Odedra (20) -- to propel the home team to the big score. Brief Scores: Saurashtra 1st innings: 423 all out in 164 overs (Kamlesh Makvana 108, Rahul Dave 72; Ashok Dinda 3/105, Saurasish Lahiri 3/64). Punjab vs Haryana Gony helps Punjab gain upper hand against Haryana Fast bowler Manpreet Gony returned with a four-wicket haul to reduce Haryana to 153 for seven at stumps after Punjab posted a challenging 415 in the first innings on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match on Thursday. Gony snapped the wickets of Nitin Saini (0), Ankit Rawat (32), Pardeep Sahu (1) and Joginder Sharma (5) and also engineered a run out of Rahul Dewan (6) to break Haryana's backbone. Skipper Amit Mishra (11) and Sachin Rana (38) were at the crease when stumps were drawn at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium. Earlier resuming at 322/2, Uday Kaul (97) missed a deserving century by a whisker when he was bowled by Sanjay Budhwar. However Mandeep Singh (112) completed his ton but could not stay on for a longer period as he bowled by Sunny Singh in the 115th over as Punjab lost half of its side at the score of 388. Rana then rose to the occassion and triggered a collapse, scalping four wickets as Punjab finished their first innings at 415 in 125.5 overs. In reply, Haryana had a nightmarish start as they lost three wickets within 10 overs with the scoreboard reading just 27. Ankit Rawat (32) and Hemang Badani (33) then forged a 48-run partnership to bring some stability but Gony broke the stand when he had the former caught by Pankaj Dharmani. Gony then removed Sahu and Joginder within a span of five overs, while Bharat Loomba had Badani caught behind by Gitansh Khera as Haryana looked down the barrel. Haryana still trails by 262 with three wickets remaining and it would take a lion-hearted effort from their tail-enders to stop Punjab from ensuring a first innings lead. Brief Score: Punjab 1st innings: 415 all out in 125.5 overs (Uday Kaul 97, Mandeep Singh 122; Sachin Rana 4/51) Haryana 1st innings: 153 for 7 in 42 overs (Sachin Rana 38 not out; Manpreet Gony 4/43). Gujarat vs Assam Gujarat reach 294 for five against Assam In a rain-curtailed match, Gujarat reached 294 for five against Assam at the end of the second day's play of their four-day Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match. Resuming at an overnight score of 233 for three, the visitors could add just 61 runs to the total in 25 overs of play that was possible, by losing two wickets. Bhavik Thaker, who ended yesterday at a personal score of 52, fell shortly after the match resumed. His stay at the crease was cut short by Ranjitkumar Mali for a well-made 65 from 141 balls studded with 8 fours and 2 sixes. The other bataman in Sunny Patel, resuming on 41, on the other hand, played a fine innings and complete his half-century. But Mali once again rose to the occasion for the hosts as he took his second wicket of the day by dismissing the new batsmen in Rajdeep Darbar (10) cheaply. However, Sunny firmly stood his ground at the other end till the stumps were drawn on a weather-affected day, to remain unbeaten on 78. Giving him company at the other end was Mehul Patel (0). Brief scores: Gujarat 1st innings: 294 for five in 104 overs (Sunny Patel batting 78, Bhavik Thaker 65, Ranjitkumar Mali 2/51). Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu Mumbai reach 180 for four against Tamil Nadu CHENNAI: Batting first in a truncated match, defending champions Mumbai reached 180 for four against Tamil Nadu at close on the second day of their four-day sixth Elite A league match in Ranji Trophy cricket on Thursday. Wasim Jaffer (66) and Prashanth Naik (8) were at the crease when stumps were drawn after 57 overs. The match could commence only in the post-lunch session after wet outfield washed out the first day's play. Mumbai began their first innings on a shaky note with both openers Onkar Gurav (8) and Sahkil Kukreja (17) departing early. In-form Ajinkya Rahane and Jaffer then steadied the innings, adding 95 runs together before the former was clean bowled by medium pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji. Rahane made 49 with the help of four boundaries and a six. Abhishek Nayar, who scored 20 (1x4, 2x6) was middling the ball well and it was looking as if he would consolidate the innings along with Jaffer. But he failed to sustain and was adjudged leg before wicket to Suresh Kumar. For Tamil Nadu, Balaji took two for 17, while left arm spinner Aushik Srinivas and Suresh Kumar claimed a wicket each. Himachal Pradesh vs Orissa Orissa 85/6 against HP in Ranji Cuttack: Fast bowling duo of Basant Mohanty and A K Sahoo wrecked havoc as Orissa restricted Himachal Pradesh to 85 for six in their first innings in a rain-curtailed second day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match here today. After the opening day's play was washed out because of rain without a single ball being bowled yesterday, Orissa skipper Debasis Mohanty opted to field today upon winning the toss and his bowlers reposed faith on his decision by suffocating the rival batsmen with their line and length here. Basant and Sahoo shared four wickets between them to trigger a collapse as Himachal Pradesh lost half their side for 76 in 34 overs at the Barabati Stadium. Paras Dogra (24) was at the crease when stumps were drawn after only 37 overs could be bowled. Giving him company at the other end was R Dhawan at 2. Brief Score: Himachal Pradesh 1st innings: 85/6 in 37 overs (Paras Dogra 24; AK Sahoo 2/14).

[Sir john]

MP monish mishra hit a double ton B->

[Sir john]

mumbai all out for 238 against TN. :woot:

[The Dark Horse]

mumbai all out for 238 against TN. :woot:

Yes but 2 wickets gone already:nervous:

[saneindian]

Badrinath another 50*!! Badri and Jaffer have once again doen what they do best, pile on the runs innings after innings match after match. In fact Badri now has a forst class average of 61+!! The surprise though is the leading wicket taker in Ranji this season. Thats none other than Joginder Sharma , with 25 wickets in 5 matches :winky:

[The Dark Horse]

Badri rocks :bubblegum:

[Sir john]

HP all out for 163 against orrisa

[cowboysfan]

why is karnataka still batting?.they should have declared long time ago and try to get some overs in.

[coffee_rules]

why is karnataka still batting?.they should have declared long time ago and try to get some overs in.

Practically they will get 3 pts now. 390+ on this pitch on D5 is impossible. Anyway, they needed to make sure 3 pts are in kitty, before going for max. They are already in QFs, so why task unnecessary risk bowling and fielding tiring out players. Get more batting practice. I think 90 overs on D4 is enough to roll over Baroda. They are missing key players.

[Chandan]

ROUND VI, DAY THREE Saurashtra vs Bengal Tiwary ton lifts Bengal Rajkot:Captain Manoj Tiwary led from the front with an unbeaten century to guide Bengal to 295 for five in reply to Saurashtra's first innings score of 423 in their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match in Rajkot on Friday. Tiwary scored a delightful unbeaten 116 and together with Dibyendu Chakrabarty (80) added 127 runs for the third wicket to take Bengal near the 300-run mark. At stumps day three, Bengal still trail Saurashtra by 128 runs but with a set Tiwary and Laxmi Ratan Shukla (3) at the crease, the visitors are well in course of pocketing three points by virtue of first innings lead on the fourth and final day on Saturday. On Friday, medium pacer Saurya Sanandiya was the pick of Saurashtra bowlers with figures of three for 41 runs. Resuming at 33 for one, Sreevats Goswami (49) and Chakrabarty added 72 more runs to their overnight five-run stand before Goswami feel just one runs short of his second first class half century. The Bengal wicket-keeper's 131-ball stay at the crease came to an end when he was caught by Sanandiya off Shitanshu Kotak (53 for 1). He struck eight boundaries during his innings. But then came a determined Tiwary who took the onus on his own shoulders to guide the Bengal innings. In Chakrabarty, Tiwary got a perfect partner as the duo went about their business with consummate ease before the former sneaked one to Sagar Jogiyani behind the stumps off Sanandiya. Brief Scores: Saurashtra 1st innings: 423 all out in 164 overs (Kamlesh Makvana 108, Rahul Dave 72; Ashok Dinda 105-3, Saurasish Lahiri 64-3). Bengal 1st innings (Overnight 33 for 1): 295 for five in 104 overs (Manoj Tiwary 116 not out, Dibyendu Chakrabarty 80; Saurya Sanandiya 41 for 3). Punjab vs Haryana Punjab consolidate lead against Haryana Rohtak:Centurion in the first-innings, Mandeep Singh struck a valuable half-century to put Punjab in command after Sachin Rana's fourth first-class ton helped Haryana avoid a follow-on on the third day of their Super League Ranji Trophy group B match at the Bansi Lal Stadium, in Rohtak on Friday. Punjab, who were comfortably placed at 144 for three at stumps, consolidated their overall lead to 289 after bowling out the hosts for 270. Rana was unbeaten on 73 off 125 balls while Uday Kaul was batting 31. Earlier, the visitors, who had scored 415 in their first innings, had to be content with Rana who fought gamely during his 226-minute stay at the crease. Resuming at a precarious 153 for seven, Rana, in the company of Dhruv Singh (30), added a crucial half-century partnership after Haryana lost other overnight batsman Amit Mishra cheaply. Rana hit 15 boundaries during his 165-ball 102, while Dhruv found the fence twice. For Punjab, Manpreet Gony was the wrecker-in-chief picking up four wickets, while Jaskaran chipped in three wickets. After Rana's gritty hundred, it was the turn of Mandeep to steal the limelight. The 19-year-old right-hander, on a high after notching up his maiden first-class century in the first innings, hit seven boundaries during his 162-minute stay at the wicket. Brief scores: Punjab: 415, 144/3 Haryana: 270 Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu TN reply strongly,149/4, to Mumbai's 238 Chennai :After bundling out defending champions Mumbai for a mere 238, Tamil Nadu reached 149 for 4 at close on the third day of their four-day sixth Elite A league match in Ranji Trophy cricket in Chennai on Friday. At stumps, K Vasudevadas (21) and R Satish (16) were at the crease. Earlier, resuming on 180 for four, Mumbai lost captain Wasim Jaffer almost immediately. Jaffer could add only one run to his overnight score as he departed for 67 (153 b, 5x4, 1x6) after being adjudged leg before wicket to Laxmipathy Balaji. Balaji continued to cripple Mumbai and in the same over he went on to dismiss Iqbal Abdulla (0). The other overnight batman Prashant Naik, who resumed on 8, however, held his ground and along with Ramesh Powar (21) added 38 runs before the latter was also dismissed. Thereafter, wickets kept falling at the other end even as Naik remained unbeaten on 33. Balaji (4 for 32) and Suresh Kumar (4 for 44) chipped in with four wickets each. Replying to Mumbai's modest 238, Tamil Nadu could not get off to an ideal start, losing both the openers -- Abhinav Mukund (13) and Srikkanth Anirudha (20) as well as Dinesh Karthik (19). However, Subramaniam Badrinath (51), completed his half-century to consolidate the hosts' innings. Mumbai's medium pacer Iqbal Abdulla finished the day with figures of 36 for 2. Karnataka vs Baroda Karnataka in control against Baroda Mysore: Karnataka's middle-order batsmen chipped in with valuable runs as the hosts managed to pile up 302 for four at the end of the third day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match, in Mysore on Friday. Karnataka lost KB Pawan (18) early on the day after resuming on 41 for one in their second innings, however, thereafter all the other batsmen -- Ganesh Satish (76), Manish Pandey (42), Amit Verma (77 not out) and Stuart Binny (60 not out) contributed to the total to give their team a healthy lead of 390 with six wickets remaining. For Baroda, Sankalp Vohra, Bhargav Bhatt and Ketan Panchal took one wicket each. Earlier, overnight batsman Satish in the able company of Manish Pandey, frustrated the visiting team bowlers as he not only completed his half-century but also put up a 73-run stand with the latter. Even after Pandey's dismissal, Satish carried on with Amit Verma before falling for a well-made 76 from 151 balls, which included 12 fours. Verma, 77 runs (204 b, 10x4) and Binny, 60 (131 b, 4x4) then went on to share an unbeaten 135-run stand together. On Thursday, after having restricted Karnataka to 257 in their first innings, Baroda hoped for a fitting reply but got bundled out for paltry 169 in their first essay. Brief scores: Karnataka 1st innings: 257 all out in 88.1 overs Baroda 1st innings: 169 all out in 69.4 overs Karnataka 2nd innings: 302 for four in 107 overs (Ganesh Satish 76, Amit Verma batting 77, Stuart Binny batting 60). Himachal Pradesh vs Orissa Orissa shoot out Himachal for 163 Cuttack: Skipper Paras Dogra's unbeaten half century could not rescue Himachal Pradesh from being shot out for a paltry 163 by Orissa in their first innings on a rain-curtailed third day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match in Cuttack on Friday. Batting at number four after Orissa captain Debasis Mohanty had inserted Himachal Pradesh in, Dogra top-scored with unbeaten 53 before his side was skittled out for 163. The first day's play was washed out while only 37 overs were possible on Thursday. On Friday also, play was possible only after tea at Barabati Stadium here. With rain playing spoilsport, the match is heading for a draw. Orissa's fast bowling duo of Basant Mohanty and A K Sahoo wrecked havoc as the hosts had restricted the visitors to 85 for six in their first innings on Thursday. Dogra, who came in at 45 for three on Thursday, and Rishi Dhawan (43) played sensibly to take his team's total past 150-mark. Dogra, who hit six fours in his 152-ball innings, shared a valuable 72-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Dhawan to raise hopes of a revival. Dhawan was lot more aggressive in his approach, hitting eight fours in his 66 balls stay at the crease. After the departure of Dhawan, Himachal's first innings folded up for 163 in 64.4 overs with Mohinderraj Sharma being the last man to depart. For Orissa, pacers Basanth Mohanty, Debasis Mohanty and Alok Chandra Sahoo shared the spoils with eight wickets among them. Basanth returned with figures of four for 43 while Debasis took 2 for 48. Sahoo chipped in with 2 for 32. Brief scores: Himachal Pradesh 1st innings: 163 all out (Paras Dogra 53 not out, Rishi Dhawan 43; Basanth Mohanty 43 for 4). Delhi vs Railways Anureet keeps Railways hopes alive Delhi:An irresponsible pull-shot from skipper Shikhar Dhawan led to a top-order collapse as Delhi were reeling at 48 for four at stumps on the third day, chasing a modest target 136 against Railways, in a sixth round Ranji Trophy encounter being played at the Roshanara ground in New Delhi. If the first couple of sessions belonged to Delhi seamer Sumit Narwal who returned with career-best figures of seven for 43 to dismiss Railways for 166, it was Railways' new-ball bowler Anureet Singh who kept his team's chances alive with an incisive spell in the last session to remove Shikhar (14), Mayank Tehlan (6) and Unmukt Chand (22). Aditya Jain (2) was dismissed by veteran Jai Prakash Yadav. However it was Narwal who got into the act straightaway dismissing openers Faiz Fazal and Shreyas Khanolkar in his first two overs. In his first spell of seven overs, Narwal pitched the ball in the right areas got a fair bit of movement as he got four wickets to rock the top-order before skipper Sanjay Bangar (67, 169 balls, 7x4) and wicketkeeper-batsman Mahesh Rawat (50, 97 balls, 7x4) added 90 runs for the fifth wicket. Just when it looked Railways will set a stiff target, Rawat was out fishing at an away going delivery snapped up by Puneet Bisht behind the stumps. Bangar who was lucky to survive being dropped as many three times was finally out as a Narwal delivery held its line to disturb his off-stump. In fact Narwal got the first seven wickets when JP was smartly caught by Shikhar Dhawan in the slips. With a modest target to chase in conditions where the ball was doing a fair bit, one expected Shikhar to play a matured knock but he only skied a pull shot off Anureet's bowling to be taken by Harshad Rawle. Aditya, who is likely to be dropped in the next game was found plumb in-front to an incoming delivery from JP. Mayank Tehlan, another candidate who will sit out when Mithun Manhas and Virat Kohli make a comeback in the next match fished at an away going delivery from Anureet as Murali Kartik took a simple catch in the first slip. Hero of Delhi's first essay, Unmukt played a few delightful cover drives before a nervous poke at the *** end of the day saw him taken by Rawat behind the stumps. Brief scores: Railways: 259 & 166 Delhi : 290 & 48/4 Gujarat vs Assam Gujarat in control against Assam Guwahati: Gujarat were in complete command after posting a first innings total of 387 thanks to a superb century by Sunny Patel in the Ranji Trophy Super League match against Assam. Patel scored a brilliant 108 as Assam bowlers toiled hard on the third day of the match after rains played spoilsport at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati. For the hosts, medium pacer Abu Nachem Ahmed and spinner Arlan Konwar took three wickets each. In reply, Assam, aiming at a first innings lead, was left tottering at 108 for three at stumps. Brief scores: Gujarat: 387 Assam : 108/3

[Chandan]

Delhi loses the match to Railways by 22 runs. What a shame! They couldn't even chase such a modest target of 136 runs and got out for 113 runs in the first session itself today. In the first innings too, rookie Unmukt apart, their batting had nothing to speak about. In this innings too bowler Narwal was the top scorer with 39 runs.

[Sir john]

Delhi loses the match to Railways by 22 runs. What a shame! They couldn't even chase such a modest target of 136 runs and got out for 113 runs in the first session itself today. In the first innings too, rookie Unmukt apart, their batting had nothing to speak about. In this innings too bowler Narwal was the top scorer with 39 runs.

murli bhai team back in action :yay::eyedance::yay:

[saneindian]

The pitch at the Roshanara Ground is so much better than the crappy track at Kotla. Always produces results. Shame Delhi could not chase the modest target, but at least the match had result. Hopefully Delhi will make Roshanara their permanent ground for home Ranji matches. In Roshanra Ground Delhi, Mohan Meekins Ground Ghaziabad, Nehru Stadium Meerut, Mysore cricket ground , Motibagh cricket Ground, Baroda and The Anantpur stadium , we have some got some fantastic result oreinted pitches. All the key domestic matches should be held at one of these grounds.

[Cricketics]

A pretty good game between Delhi and Railways. Congrats to railways. They defended well.

[Sir john]

of relegation HP :mad:

[Chandan]

ROUND VI, DAY FOUR Delhi vs Railways Railways shock Delhi A distinct lack of application by the Delhi batsmen helped Sanjay Bangar-led Railways win an exciting sixth round Ranji Trophy Super League (Group A) encounter by 22 runs, at the Roshanara Club ground in New Delhi. Chasing a modest victory target of 136, Delhi batsmen failed to show any stomach for fight on a seaming track as they were shot out for 113 in only 44.2 overs. Rarely does one find a side end up on a losing note when its opener has scored 151 (Unmukt Chand) in the first innings and new-ball bowler (Sumit Narwal) has taken seven wickets in an innings. But on a track where it would have been a test of technique, the middle-order couldn't apply themselves when all they required was one good partnership. The defeat means that Delhi who stay put on 13 points will now face defending champions Mumbai in a do-or-die encounter at the Roshanara next Wednesday. Even Railways who registered their first outright win are on 11 points and will fancy an outside chance of making it to the knockout stage with a match against Bengal still left. Resuming on their overnight score of 48 for four, a lot depended on the two overnight batsmen Rajat Bhatia (13) and Gaurav Chhabra (7) but both succumbed to the pressure created due to some disciplined bowling by Anureet Singh (4/53), JP Yadav (3/39). The duo bowled in the right areas and let the pitch do the rest. First Chhabra was caught in the slips by Faiz Fazal off Anureet and then JP dismissed Bhatia whose footwork was circumspect during his 69-minute stay at the wicket. He was taken in the gully by Shreyas Khanolkar. At 76 for six, Sumit Narwal with a brisk 39(58 balls, 5x4) tried his best but there wasn't much support from the other end save for a brief period when Narwal and Pradeep Sangwan (9) added 24 runs for the eighth wicket. Once Sangwan was caught at forward short leg by Faiz off Harshaw Rawle, Narwal ran out of patience. It was good thinking by skipper Bangar that led to Narwal's dismissal in the 44th over. With Vikas Mishra at the other end, Narwal hit a boundary off the third delivery and refused singles on the other four deliveries. Having a look at the vacant thirdman area, the southpaw tried to guide the last delivery of the over only managing to edge it to Mahesh Rawat who took a smart catch behind the stumps. In the next over, Mishra was run-out as Railways completed one of their most memorable victories in the Ranji Trophy. Brief scores: Railways : 259 & 166 Delhi : 290 & 113 Punjab vs Haryana Haryana survive to draw against Punjab Left-arm spinner Rajwinder Singh scalped four wickets but Punjab still couldn't register an outright win as Haryana finished their second innings at 220 for eight on the fourth and final day to draw their Ranji Trophy Super League match. By virtue of their first innings lead, Punjab pocketed three crucial points but still remained at the fifth place in the Group B points table behind Haryana. Rajwinder took the wickets of R Dewan (37), Hemang Badani (47), Sachin Rana (36) and Joginder Sharma (29) to ignite hopes of a win but Haryana managed to cling on to deny them an outright victory. Earlier, resuming at 144/3, Punjab declared their second innings at 232/6, setting a victory target of 378 at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium. Punjab overnight batsmen Mandeep Singh (84) and Uday Kaul (80 not out) started off well but pacer Dhruv Singh produced a brilliant spell to dismiss the former in the 51st over, before removing Jaskaran Singh (2) and MS Gony (10). Kaul, however, was a pillar of strength at the other end. The 23-year-old blasted seven fours in his innings as Punjab declared their second innings at 232 for six in 60 overs. Needing 378 to win, Haryana had a disastrous start as they lost opener Nitin Saina (0) in the third ball when he was cleaned up by Gony. Gony also dismissed Sunny Singh in the seventh over, while Bharat Loomba removed A Rawat (13) to reduce Haryana to 36 for three in the 12th over. Dewan and Badani tried to stem the rot with a 80-run fourth wicket partnership but once they were gone, the scare of a defeat loomed large over Haryana. Rana (36) then came up with a 48-run stand with Pradeep Sahu to help Haryana survive the scare as the match ended in a draw. Saurashtra vs Bengal Tiwary double ton keeps Bengal alive Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary led from the front to score a career best 233 not out as the visitors managed to log home three points against Saurashtra in their crucial Ranji Trophy Super League Group A encounter at the Khanderi Stadium in Rajkot, on Saturday. Bengal now have 12 points from six matches and would like to go for the kill against Railways in the final encounter which will be played at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi from Wednesday. Saurashtra meanwhile are all but relegated to Plate division. Tiwary, who batted close to 10 hours hit 20 boundaries and two sixes facing 405 deliveries in the process as Bengal scored 569 for seven in reply to Saurashtra's first innings score of 423. His previous best was 210 against Mumbai in the 2006-07 season. The Bengal captain started from where he left on Friday but with 128 runs still to get, he was choosy about his shot selection. If Tiwary deserves credit for guiding Bengal, off-spinner Sourashis Lahiri should also be praised for notching up his maiden first-class ton as he hit 103 (202 balls, 12x4, 2x6)and adding 209 runs for the seventh wicket which proved to be decisive in the end. Resuming at 295 for five -- Tiwary and former captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla (45) added 66 runs for the sixth wicket and in the process safely played out the first hour. But Shukla's impetuosity cost him as he tried to hoist off-spinner Kamlesh Makvana and was stumped by Sagar Jogiyani. However with nothing much in the pitch, it was easy for Lahiri to settle down alongside Tiwary as they ensured three points for Bengal. Saurya Sanandiya (4/97) returned with the best figures for Saurashtra while Jayesh Odedra, Sitanshu Kotak and Makvana got a wicket each. Karnataka vs Baroda Karnataka-Baroda match ends in draw Rakesh Solanki and Ambati Rayudu thwarted Karnataka's push for a win with an unbeaten 63-run stand for the fourth wicket as Baroda scored 151 for three in their second innings on the fourth and final day to draw their Ranji Trophy Super League match in Mysore. Karnataka, who had an 88-run first innings lead, delayed their declaration which they eventually did after scoring 391 for eight as they played 23 overs today at the Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground. The home side did not have enough overs to bowl out Baroda who were set an impossible target of 480 to win and the match ended in a draw. Karnataka collected three points by virtue of their first innings lead while Baroda got one. Resuming their second innings at 302 for four, already a lead of 390, batsmen Amit Verma (80) and Stuart Binny (70) added just three and 10 runs to their overnight score of 77 and 60 respectively before falling in quick succession. When Binny was out, Karnataka were 316 for six in their second innings and had taken an overall lead of 404 but they did not declare and continued batting. Captain Vinay Kumar remained not out on 50 and Sreenath Aravind on three when Karnataka finally declared at 391 for eight. In their second innings, Baroda were reduced to 88 for three when Jaykishan Kolsawala was out for 42 but Solanki and Rayudu ensured that the match ended in a draw. Himachal Pradesh vs Orissa Orissa get three vital points Orissa earned three vital points on the basis of their first innings lead as their rain-marred Ranji Trophy Super League (Group B) match against Himachal Pradesh ended in a tame draw in Cuttack. For Himachal Pradesh, pacer Rishi Dhawan (five for 63) bowled well but that wasn't enough to restrict Orissa from taking a lead of 27 runs ensuring three points in the process. With incessant rains playing spoilsport on all three days, the outcome of the match was more or less predictable. While the first day's play was completely washed out, only 37 overs were possible on the second day, while play was possible only after tea break on Friday. Orissa seamers Basant Mohanty and Alok Sahoo had wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh's first innings as the hosts restricted the visitors to paltry 163. On the final day, Orissa started their innings on a confident note with openers Paresh Patel (55) and Natraj Behara (13) adding 36 runs for the first wicket. Dhawan had Behera caught behind by wicketkeeper Manvinder Bisla in the 8th over of the innings. Next in Niranjan Behera (35) shared a valuable 87-run partnership with Paresh to take the team's total past 100-mark before getting retired hurt. After Niranjan, Orissa fumbled in their reply as pace duo of Dhawan and Vikramjeet Malik (two for 60) triggered a batting collapse to reduce them from a comfortable 123 for one to 152 for five. Biplab Samantray (35) showed some late resistance, which helped the team cross Himachal Pradesh's paltry first innings total of 163. Orissa declared their innings at 190 for 8 after the departure of Samantray, who hit 4 boundaries. In reply, Himachal were 25 for one in their second essay when play was called off. Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu earn three points over Mumbai Tamil Nadu gained three points on the basis of 109-run first innings lead over Mumbai as their rain-affected Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match ended in a draw in Chennai. Tamil Nadu, overnight 149 for 4, ended their first innings at 347 all out and at close Mumbai were 13 for two in 15 overs. The three points took Tamil Nadu's tally to 14, while Mumbai lead the table with 21 after six outings. A 115-run partnership between K Shrivasudevadas (99) and Rajagopal Sathish (44) proved to be the cornerstone of Tamil Nadu innings as the duo batted steadily to take their team within striking distance of a first innings lead. Shrivasudevadas missed a deserving century, but his knock of 99 of 173-ball (11x4) helped Tamil Nadu hold the initiative for obtaining the first innings lead. Lakshmipathy Balaji chipped in with a solid 41 of 56 balls (4x4, 1x6). 18-year old left-arm Mumbai spinner Harmeet Singh bowled impressively to claim 5 for 86. Gujarat vs Assam Gujarat gain vital first innings lead Gujarat earned three vital points thanks to a superb five wicket haul by medium pacer Ishwar Choudhury as their Ranji Trophy Super League match against Assam ended in a draw on Guwahati. On the last day's play at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, Choudhury returned figures of five for 116 and despite a gritty 90 by Assam skipper Amal Majumdar the home team folded up for 273 giving 114-run first innings lead to the visitors. Gujarat were all out for 387 in their first innings.

[The Dark Horse]

TN is back into reckoning thanks to rain gods:two_thumbs_up: