Ranji Trophy, Super league, 2007-08 [Ranji SS available]

[Tapioca]

Points update : Delhi 17 Mumbai, Saurashtra : 15 Maharashtra : 14 TN : 11 Karnataka : 9 HP : 4 Rajastan : 3

In the Cricinfo table, Maharashtra too have 15 points and TN is on 12, in cricketarchive they have 14 and 11. Not sure which is right.

[Mr. Wicket]

Delhi should be given the status of Ranji 2007 championz right away

We'll name them Ranji champs the next time they can get an outright win v Mumbai.

[Chandan]

In the Cricinfo table' date=' Maharashtra too have 15 points and TN is on 12, in cricketarchive they have 14 and 11. Not sure which is right.[/quote'] If Maharashtra lost the match today, how on earth can they have 15 points after being on 14 at the time this round started?? I think cricketarchive is correct.

[Tapioca]

>> If Maharashtra lost the match today, how on earth can they have 15 points after being on 14 at the time this round started?? The previous figure of 14 that I quoted was also from CA, there it is still 14. The one point difference seems to be because of the Maharashtra v TN match where the first innings was not completed owing to rain. CA gave the teams no points but CI gave one point each. From http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/Tables/Ranji_Trophy_2007-08.html , the points scheme includes this : No Decision on 1st innings (ND): 0 No Decision on 1st innings but abandoned points awarded as so little play (NDA): 1 No idea how to interpret that :nervous: Add : There is also a "Abandoned without a ball bowled (A): 1" which does not apply here

[apocalypse]

Mumbai 295 and 267 for 4 dec beat Rajasthan 179 and 381 (Saxena 122, Doru 82, Bist 64) by two runs Scorecard Points table Mumbai pulled off an unlikely win over Rajasthan after they bowled out the hosts three runs short of the target in a nail-biting finish in Jhalawar. Rajasthan had made up for their poor show in the first innings, with a hundred from Vineet Saxena and half-centuries from Nikhil Doru and Robin Bist as they chased a target of 384. They needed 46 in seven overs when the fifth wicket fell - Rohit Jhalani was run out for 14. Rajasthan still had enough wickets left to play out a draw but a panic in ranks caused three more run-outs - in all five for the innings. The last three batsmen were dismissed off the final three balls of the match. Saurashtra 245 and 245 (Jobanputra 54, Aiyappa 4-87) beat Karnataka 226 and 251 (Raghu 77, Maniar 4-54, Jobanputra 3-74) by three runs Scorecard Saurashtra are now sharing the second-place spot on the Group A table with Maharashtra and Mumbai after their last-over win against Karnataka at the Infosys Park in Mysore. Sandeep Jobanputra, Saurashtra's No. 10 batsman, hit a quick half-century and added 74 with Firoz Bambhaniya to set Karnataka a target of 265 in 63 overs. Jobanputra then opened the bowling and struck in the fifth over to remove opener KB Pawan with six runs on the scoreboard. He followed it up by breaking the 81-run fifth-wicket partnership between Sunil Joshi and C Raghu, when he had Joshi caught behind for 44. Jobanputra's opening-bowling partner Sandip Maniar, Jobanputra's opening-bowling partner, removed Raghu with 16 needed. Jobanputra came on to bowl the final over of the match with seven runs required and one wicket remaining. Yere Goud and KP Appanna took singles off the first three balls before Jobanputra caught Appanna off the fourth and Saurashtra won by three runs. Hyderabad 132 and 155 for 7 (Pai 53, Kalyankrishna 3-41) beat Andhra Pradesh 159 and 127 by three wickets Scorecard Hyderabad took 8.1 overs of the final day to get the 18 runs they needed to beat Andhra Pradesh. They lost Amol Shinde off the fifth ball of the morning, but his dismissal brought MP Arjun, who took seven wickets in the Andhra second innings, on to the middle to see Hyderabad through to the finish. Hyderabad now have ten points from five matches and are tied at second place with Orissa, who have played one game less. Tamil Nadu 234 and 296 for 6 dec beat Himachal Pradesh 223 and 127 (SS Kumar 4-31, Ramkumar 3-26) by 180 runs Scorecard Tamil Nadu bowled out Himachal Pradesh for 127 and won the match by 180 runs in Chennai. Having been set a target of 308, Himachal resumed at their overnight score of 5 for 0 and were promptly on their way to defeat, reduced to 73 for 5 in 42 overs. SS Kumar and R Ramkumar shared seven wickets between them as the match was wrapped up in another 17 overs. Baroda 583 for 5 (Williams 185, Solanki 111, Gaekwad 54*, Shah 53*) drew with Punjab 496 for 8 dec Scorecard Since there was no chance of a positive result, the Baroda batsmen helped themselves to big scores on the final day in Amritsar. Williams, who had got 106 overnight, added another 79 to the total before being bowled by Charanjit Singh. After giving Baroda their first century opening stand of the season yesterday, Williams got century partnerships with Azharuddin Bilakhia and Rakesh Solanki, who is Baroda's leading run-scorer in the season so far. The two sides agreed to call off the match with 15 overs remaining in the day. Delhi 409 and 51 for 3 (Agharkar 2-14) beat Maharashtra 219 and 240 (Takawale 75, Bhilare 34, Awana 4-62, Nanda 4-70) by seven wickets Scorecard Parvinder Awana's hat-trick broke Maharashtra's 35-over resistance and set Delhi on their way to an outright win in Nagothane. Needing just 51 to win on a difficult track, Delhi proceeded to lose three wickets but in the end managed to gain a two-point lead over their opponents, second on the list. Read the full report here.

[apocalypse]

[guju24]

either delhi or baroda going to win this time ranji...

[ludhianvi]

some interesting matches indeed. Punjab doing quite poorly this season

[Chandan]

I'll expand the reports:

Mumbai 295 and 267 for 4 dec beat Rajasthan 179 and 381 (Saxena 122' date= Doru 82, Bist 64) by two runs Scorecard Points table Mumbai pulled off an unlikely win over Rajasthan after they bowled out the hosts three runs short of the target in a nail-biting finish in Jhalawar. Rajasthan had made up for their poor show in the first innings, with a hundred from Vineet Saxena and half-centuries from Nikhil Doru and Robin Bist as they chased a target of 384. They needed 46 in seven overs when the fifth wicket fell - Rohit Jhalani was run out for 14. Rajasthan still had enough wickets left to play out a draw but a panic in ranks caused three more run-outs - in all five for the innings. The last three batsmen were dismissed off the final three balls of the match.

Playing only his second Ranji Trophy match, right-arm medium-pacer Murtuza Hussain held his nerves to bowl Mumbai to a exciting two-run win off the final delivery of the match against Rajasthan here on Wednesday. Rajasthan, chasing 384 for a win and beginning the fourth and final day at 48 for one, required nine off the last over with three wickets in hand. The big-hitting Pankaj Singh edged the first ball to the right of wicket-keeper for a boundary. The second fetched a single, bringing Afroz Khan on strike. After a dot ball, Hussain clean bowled Afroz and in the fifth, Shamsher Singh was run out while stealing a second run against Sahil Kukreja's arm at third-man. Three were needed off the last ball, and unfortunately for Rajasthan, Pankaj was at the non-striker's end. Md Aslam could not sight a yorker-length delivery and lost his off-stump, handing Mumbai an unexpected victory. Rajasthan were all out for 381. With five points from the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match at the Sports Complex ground here, Mumbai take their points tally to 15 and are joint second with Maharashtra and Saurashtra. Delhi top the group with 17 points. Rajasthan needed 104 off the last 15 overs, with seven wickets in hand. The well set Nikhil Doru and Robin Bisht had slowed down the run rate after the tea. However, the hosts began the last 15 overs positively, picking up 14 runs from the first two. While off-spinner Ramesh Powar did not prove effective, left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla bowled predominantly on the leg side and was called wide on four occasions. However, Doru walked into Powar and missed the line, to be run out by Vinayak Samant. Doru was the first of five run outs that featured in this heart-stopping last hour. There was more drama as Rohit Jhalani and Gagan Khoda scored quick runs and shared 32 and 28 for the fifth and sixth wickets with Bisht. Bisht (64, 128m, 82b, 3x4, 1x6) carried the hopes on his shoulders before he was run out in the last ball of the penultimate over. Earlier, Rajasthan owed it to the strong base laid by the third-wicket partnership between Vineet Saxena and Doru that yielded 159. Saxena's (122) third Ranji hundred and Doru's (82) second successive half-century were overshadowed by the exciting moments in the final hour.

Saurashtra 245 and 245 (Jobanputra 54, Aiyappa 4-87) beat Karnataka 226 and 251 (Raghu 77, Maniar 4-54, Jobanputra 3-74) by three runs Scorecard Saurashtra are now sharing the second-place spot on the Group A table with Maharashtra and Mumbai after their last-over win against Karnataka at the Infosys Park in Mysore. Sandeep Jobanputra, Saurashtra's No. 10 batsman, hit a quick half-century and added 74 with Firoz Bambhaniya to set Karnataka a target of 265 in 63 overs. Jobanputra then opened the bowling and struck in the fifth over to remove opener KB Pawan with six runs on the scoreboard. He followed it up by breaking the 81-run fifth-wicket partnership between Sunil Joshi and C Raghu, when he had Joshi caught behind for 44. Jobanputra's opening-bowling partner Sandip Maniar, Jobanputra's opening-bowling partner, removed Raghu with 16 needed. Jobanputra came on to bowl the final over of the match with seven runs required and one wicket remaining. Yere Goud and KP Appanna took singles off the first three balls before Jobanputra caught Appanna off the fourth and Saurashtra won by three runs.

Saurashtra snatched a thrilling three-run win over Karnataka in a Ranji Trophy Super League match at the Gangothri Glades Ground here on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 265 in 63 overs, Karnataka failed to fire from the front and the late surge was just not good enough and was dismissed for 261, with just two balls remaining. The chase began after tea with Sunil Joshi, promoted to number five, leading the way and was joined later by the talented C. Raghu, who scored a heroic 77, but fell when 16 needed off 18 balls. Captain Yere Goud just did not have it in him to take the attack on his own as wickets tumbled at the other end. With six runs needed off the last over, last man Appanna and Yere Goud took a single each before Appanna failed to keep a rising ball down and only managed to give a tame return catch to medium pacer Sandeep Jobanputra. Saurashtra’s joy knew no bounds as the players hugged and celebrated a dramatic victory. Top order fails Karnataka had to blame its own top order for the defeat. Robin Uthappa on whom much depended was once again out to a poor shot and both Bharath Chipli and Sudhindra Shinde perished needlessly. Eight overs before lunch produced just 18 runs for the loss of first innings century maker K.B. Pawan and then three wickets fell without much ado. Joshi and Raghu did put on 81 runs for the fifth wicket before Joshi was out, caught behind off Jobanputra. Vinay Kumar slashed around for 24 and then Thilak Naidu ran himself out to cause panic in the Karnataka camp. Raghu’s dismissal gave Saurashtra the whiff of victory and in the final analysis the better team over the last four days won. In the morning, Firoz Bambhania (46) and Sandeep Jobanputra (54) denied Karnataka early success and in the process not only added valuable runs (74 runs for the ninth wicket) but consumed time as well, before both fell in quick succession. Saurashtra with this morale-boosting win has 15 points now after five rounds while Karnataka remains on nine points.

Hyderabad 132 and 155 for 7 (Pai 53, Kalyankrishna 3-41) beat Andhra Pradesh 159 and 127 by three wickets Scorecard Hyderabad took 8.1 overs of the final day to get the 18 runs they needed to beat Andhra Pradesh. They lost Amol Shinde off the fifth ball of the morning, but his dismissal brought MP Arjun, who took seven wickets in the Andhra second innings, on to the middle to see Hyderabad through to the finish. Hyderabad now have ten points from five matches and are tied at second place with Orissa, who have played one game less.

Hyderabad completed the formalities of scoring the required 18 runs on the final day to record a three-wicket win over Andhra in the Ranji Trophy Group ‘B’ super league match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) here on Wednesday. Resuming at 137 for six in pursuit of a victory target of 155, Hyderabad suffered an early setback in the first over when medium-pacer D. Kalyankrishna forced Amol Shinde to snick to wicketkeeper M.S.K. Prasad to reduce it 138 for seven. However, the star performer for the home team with his fast bowling, M.P. Arjun, and Pragyan Ojha batted sensibly to ensure that there were no more hiccups. Celebration time When Ojha flicked Kalyankrishna to pick up a brace to wrap up the match in the ninth over of the day, it signalled celebrations for the Hyderabad team which at one stage was looking out of contention having conceded the vital first innings lead. After this win, Hyderabad has 10 points from five matches and takes on Uttar Pradesh here from December 25 in it’s last match while Andhra has nine points so far. Team work Hyderabad captain N. Arjun Yadav attributed the victory to team work and hoped for a turn-around in fortunes after this performance. “We are now looking for bigger feats in the U.P. match and are confident of putting up an improved display,†he remarked at the end of the match. Tamil Nadu 234 and 296 for 6 dec beat Himachal Pradesh 223 and 127 (SS Kumar 4-31, Ramkumar 3-26) by 180 runs Scorecard Tamil Nadu bowled out Himachal Pradesh for 127 and won the match by 180 runs in Chennai. Having been set a target of 308, Himachal resumed at their overnight score of 5 for 0 and were promptly on their way to defeat, reduced to 73 for 5 in 42 overs. SS Kumar and R Ramkumar shared seven wickets between them as the match was wrapped up in another 17 overs.

Baroda 583 for 5 (Williams 185, Solanki 111, Gaekwad 54*, Shah 53*) drew with Punjab 496 for 8 dec Scorecard Since there was no chance of a positive result, the Baroda batsmen helped themselves to big scores on the final day in Amritsar. Williams, who had got 106 overnight, added another 79 to the total before being bowled by Charanjit Singh. After giving Baroda their first century opening stand of the season yesterday, Williams got century partnerships with Azharuddin Bilakhia and Rakesh Solanki, who is Baroda's leading run-scorer in the season so far. The two sides agreed to call off the match with 15 overs remaining in the day.

MAKING A strong statement, Baroda came out with a fine batting display to score 583 for 5 in their first innings, as they earned three points on the basis of first innings lead against Punjab in the Ranji Trophy encounter here on Wednesday. Chasing Punjab's first innings score of 496 for 8, Baroda received an early jolt today, as they lost Azhar Bilakhiya on the very first ball of the day of VRV Singh. Skipper Connor Williams, who resumed from his overnight score of 106, looked in sublime form, played some beautiful shots before departing at an individual score of 185. Connor's innings included 29 hits to the fence. Rakesh Solanki was another star of the day for Baroda, as he played brilliantly to score an emphatic hundred. Solanki seemed dominating the proceedings throughout, as his knock featured 12 boundaries and a tower ing six. Though Punjab managed an early break through, the monumentalstand between Williams and Solanki pushed them behind. Much awaited Yousuf Pathan did not stay for long, but entertained the handful crowd with his quick fire 20 off 14 deliveries. Wicket keeper Pinal Shah chipped in 53 runs and was well supported by Gaekwad (54).

Delhi 409 and 51 for 3 (Agharkar 2-14) beat Maharashtra 219 and 240 (Takawale 75, Bhilare 34, Awana 4-62, Nanda 4-70) by seven wickets Scorecard Parvinder Awana's hat-trick broke Maharashtra's 35-over resistance and set Delhi on their way to an outright win in Nagothane. Needing just 51 to win on a difficult track, Delhi proceeded to lose three wickets but in the end managed to gain a two-point lead over their opponents, second on the list. Read the full report here.

Delhi medium-pacer Parvinder Awana, deployed in short bursts on Tuesday, came up with a match-winning hat-trick against Maharashtra in their Ranji Trophy Group ‘A’ Super League tie against Maharashtra at the Reliance Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Awana, turning out in only his second first-class match of the national competition, justified his selection ahead of the experienced Amit Bhandari by causing a remarkable turnaround to the keenly-contested match. On a surface that had deteriorated a little, Awana, who replaced Pradeep Sangwan, removed the determined Vishal Bhilare, Kedar Jadhav and Sairaj Bahutule off successive deliveries to bring cheer to his side that was baulked by the fifth-wicket pair of Yogesh Takawale and Bhilare for one hour and 45 minutes on the fourth and final day. Leading the table By virtue of its second win against Maharashtra in eight meetings, Delhi collected five points and took the top position (17 points) in its group. However, the Virender Sehwag-led Delhi side failed to earn the bonus point and even lost three wickets while chasing a small target of 51. Maharashtra opted to open the attack with left-arm spinner Salil Agharkar. The overnight pair of Takwale and Bhilare played sensible and spirited cricket, defending and thumping the ball straight down the wicket and over the fielders. The two rotated the strike and stretched the partnership beyond the 190-run lead Delhi had gained in the first innings. Their association had produced an exact 100 runs when, Awana bowling round the wicket, trapped the left-handed Bhilare in front. Jadhav, facing Awana who switched to over the wicket, fell to a superb delivery. The Delhi speedster, who went back to round the wicket, then consumed Sairaj Bahutule with a ball that hastened off the pitch and hit the top of off-stump. From 202 for four, Maharashtra stumbled to 202 for seven before getting bowled out for 240. The most successful Maharashtra bowler in the first innings, Agharkar, tossed the ball to invite Aakash Chopra down the wicket and had him stumped to deny Delhi the bouns point. Samad Fallah then had Shikhar Dhawan leg before and Agharkar had Rajat Bhatia superbly caught at silly-point by substitute Digambar Waghmare. Mithun Manhas offered a chance to wicketkeeper More off Agharkar when the score was 23, but he and Mayank Tehlan took their side without further damage. Maharashtra coach Chandrakant Pandit said: “I had not lost hope of winning the match last evening (Tuesday) and even today. I told Takawale, Bhilare and the other batsmen to play smart cricket in order to give Delhi a target of around 160. But, the loss of three quick wickets changed the course of the match.†Fourth Delhi bowler According to BCCI statistician Dinar Gupte, Awana, the winner of the Scorpio speedster contest in 2004, became the fourth Delhi bowler to take a hat-trick in Ranji Trophy. The three others are Ravinder Pal, brother of Rajinder Pal, performed the feat against Southern Punjab in New Delhi in 1965-66, Bishan Singh Bedi versus Punjab at Chandigarh in 1968-69 and Shankar Saini against Himachal Pradesh in New Delhi in the 1988-89 season.

[Chandan]

A look back on some on field as well as off field incidents during Round Five: Thrillers, hat-tricks, and a jaggery-coated pitch Cricinfo staff December 13, 2007 Children conducting the presentation ceremony after the Delhi-Maharashtra match in Nagothane © Cricinfo Ltd A round for knife-edges Until yesterday Indian first-class cricket had recorded only four matches ending in victories of three runs or less. In a span of a few minutes, Jhalawar and Mysore produced two more. Barely had Mumbai sneaked to a dramatic two-run win against Rajasthan in Jhalawar than Saurashtra almost matched them with a three-run triumph in Mysore. Mumbai needed three wickets off the final over and Rajasthan, nine runs. Murtuza Hussain, a medium-pacer in just his second first-class game, prised out two wickets and saw a third fall to a run-out. Karnataka, needing six runs in the last mandatory over, also committed hara-kiri. No. 11 KP Appanna did well to steal a single off the first ball, only to see Yere Goud, the captain, pick up another single instead of finishing it on his own. This brought Appanna back on strike and he had no answer to a well-directed short one that ballooned up in the air. For Indian first-class matches that have ended with margins of five runs or less, click here. Bouncing in Karnail Domestic cricketers who have visited the Karnail Singh Stadium never tire of complaining about the lack of bounce. Jharkhand, the latest visitors, had a surprise in store. An interesting piece in the Indian Express talks about an old-school idea coming in handy: using jaggery to bind the pitch. Abhay Sharma, the Railways' coach, told the newspaper: "I recalled what I had seen in a Duleep Trophy match in Bikaner a long time ago. I remember playing that match and that wicket had a tennis-ball bounce. I had asked the groundsman, who was about 70 years old then, how he managed this and he told me to use jaggery, and its syrup is very good for making a stiff base. "That's how I tried it here. But we have to be extra careful while using it on the top soil. A little overdose and insects will eat into the wicket." Curator Rakesh Mehrotra, who represented Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy in 1986 and has been involved in preparing tracks for the last five years, said: "We have also used a special glue so that the wicket doesn't break, and also sprayed lot of insecticide to prevent damage to the grass. That way, the grass doesn't die even when the roller is used and assists movement. Also, it's important to increase the clay content of the soil and also observe little methods to preserve it." Tricks from Sony and Awana Sony Cheruvathur became only the second bowler from Kerala, after Sreesanth, to grab a hat-trick. Snapping up the best match-figures in the Plate Group so far (12 for 105) Cheruvathur's hat-trick comprised Nos. 9, 10 and 11 - Amit Singh, Siddharth Trivedi and Hitesh Majumdar - to clean up the innings. Three days later Parvinder Awana matched him with a hat-trick to allow Delhi to force the issue against Maharashtra. Awana became the fourth Delhi bowler to take a Ranji hat-trick, after Ravinder Pal, Bishan Bedi and Shankar Saini. Snap of the week: a Nagothane special © Cricinfo Ltd Nagothane nuggets For the smaller and far-off venues, a first-class match is a big occasion. It was no different for Nagothane, as at the end of the match they had a proper post-match conference organised, something that is not usual with Ranji Trophy matches. The spin here was that there were school kids questioning the captains at the presentation ceremony. Also Vijay Dahiya, mistaken for Virender Sehwag, was being asked for his autograph by one of the kids. While Dahiya had a hard time trying to convince the biy that Sehwag and he were two were different people, Aakash Chopra said, "No no it's him only," before dashing away. Mumbai and the left-arm curse Mumbai didn't have to face a left-arm seamer in this round but they've struggled against the breed this season. In the third and fourth rounds, Delhi's Pradeep Sangwan and Maharashtra's Samad Fallah accounted for 12 wickets, most of whom were top-order batsmen. Mumbai are obviously aware of this weakness, getting their trainer and left-armer Amogh Pandit to bowl at them, but a real test awaits them in the next round: Himachal Pradesh's Ashok Thakur, the highest wicket-taker in the Super League so far, on home turf. Interestingly (apart from Zaheer Khan) the last left-arm medium-fast bowler in the Mumbai ranks was Sandeep Dahad, who was in and out of the side in 2001 before moving to Goa. Stat snaps Assam offspinner Arnald Konwar and Karnataka's medium-pacer R Vinay Kumar now have 100 wickets in first-class cricket. Meanwhile former Indian Sanjay Bangar, playing for Railways, picked up his 200th wicket in the game against Jharkhand in Delhi. Bangar became the fourth Indian to manage the double of 200 wickets and 6000 runs. He has a bit of catching up to do, though with ML Jaisimha (8942 runs, 325 wickets), Vijay Hazare (8504 runs, 311 wickets) and Madan Lal (8141 runs, 512 wickets) ahead of him. Victory margins by five runs or less in Indian first-class cricket Baroda beat Western India by 3 runs in Rajkot, 1942-43 Western India beat Gujarat by 3 runs in Rajkot, 1945-46 Andhra beat Tamil Nadu by 1 run in Salem, 1974-75 Haryana beat Mumbai by 2 runs in Bombay, 1990-91 Madhya Pradesh beat Karnataka by 5 runs in Bangalore, 1992-93 Tamil Nadu beat Sri Lanka by 3 runs in Madras, 1972-73 (Gopalan Trophy).

[The Outsider]

Good to see more results coming in this round. I think it's got to do with what Wright alluded to in his book that pitches in India become more result conducive as the season goes on. We need a rethink on how to get results during the first part of our season.

[Chandan]

I have no doubt in my mind that instead of producing damp pitches in the name of green-tops for outright result, we need to produce good hard tracks with bounce and pace and which should start turning from day 3. Only then can we be able to produce batsmen with good technique and bowlers with tricks to out-think the batsmen and fox them by pace, swing , flight or turn. Till then, everything will remain mediocre here.

[Chandan]

A review after the fifth round Heart-stopper in Jhalawar : Interviews December 13, 2007 The fifth round of the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy witnessed a humdinger at Jhalawar's Sports Complex, where hosts Rajasthan lost three wickets in a manic final over, when they required nine runs to beat Mumbai for their first win of the season. There would be no joy for an inexperienced side, as the lower order imploded in an over from Murtuza Hussain, a 21-year-old right-arm medium-pacer in just his second match. Cricinfo spoke to a few who where there, getting reactions for each of those six deliveries Once Robin Bist departed, Rajasthan collapsed © Nishant Ratnakar/ Bangalore Mirror First ball, Robin Bist run-out Bist, Rajasthan batsman:"It was very tense in the dressing room. I was batting well, and it looked like we could get there, but then I got run out. It was a very, very close call. In the last over, we needed nine runs...Pankaj went for a slog and got a thick inside-edge down to third man for a boundary, and we were like, chalo, thats a relief. Aloke Bhattacharjee, square-leg umpire: Pankaj is a sturdy lad, capable of hitting the ball. This one was a big slog that ran down to third man. Rajasthan looked pumped up. Amol Muzumdar, Mumbai captain: Pankaj went for a hit and edged to the third man for a boundary, which really tilted the match. It put us under pressure. Second ball Bist: The second ball was a single, thanks to a fumble behind the stumps, which got newcomer Afroz Khan on strike. We needed four from three balls. Bhattacharjee: Second ball, the wicketkeeper, Vinayak Samant, fumbled the collection and they ran a quick single. They got off on that missed chance. Muzumdar: My field was in and out, to ensure they didn't get any more boundaries. We knew we had to restrict any boundary-scoring options. Third ball Bist: First ball, an under-pressure Afroz worked the ball away but straight to the fielder. I didn't even take my pads off, it was so tense. Bhattacharjee: The new man didn't look all that comfortable as he faced up. He hit it to a fielder and they didn't chance a run. Fourth ball, Afroz b Hussain Bist: Next ball, Afroz got a very good full delivery, which he missed, and was bowled. He was devastated when he came back into the pavilion. Bhattacharjee: Oh that was a great ball, a lovely full delivery. That batsman played all over it. Knocked over the stumps. The ball to [from Hussain] Afroz was also very good, a well-directed delivery. The batsman had no chance of hitting it with a slog. Muzumdar: Afroz was cleaned up on the fourth ball. I wanted a length ball, but it ended up a bit full, but worked for us, so I was very happy. That got the team very pumped up. Fifth ball, Shamsher Singh run-out Bist: We just told each passing batsman, don't go for a big shot, rather wait and rely on getting singles. We can do this. Shamsher Singh came out, had a few words with Pankaj, and told me later that he was expecting a short ball. He stayed back, in anticipation, but the ball was fuller. He played across the line and somehow edged a single down to third man. The batsmen scampered one, but turned and went back for a non-existent second run. There was a fumble on the boundary but the second just wasn't on. There was some confusion, they each turned back, and Shamsher was run out from a very good direct hit. You could really see the tension across Amol's face. But he kept his cool, and called his players together. He infused confidence in them, told them that could win this. It was very inspiring to see Bhattacharjee: It was a genuine edge, and you could tell the pressure on their faces. They just turned and ran, and Shamsher was out by some distance. Muzumdar: He edged it to third man, they ran one and tried the second, but a direct hit from Sahil Kukreja was spot on, which was really great for us. It lifted the mood further. That's when I called everyone together and said, come on, we can do this. Sixth ball, Aslam b Hussain Bist: We were now nine down, with one ball to go, and two runs to get. At this time we said just tie it somehow. Mohammad Aslam was the last man in, and he was a bit nervous. He wanted a single, somehow, but Hussain again bowled a good yorker and Aslam was bowled, just trying to defend. We were in shock. It was very hard to digest. Bhattacharjee: Before anything, I must tell you something. You could really see the tension across Amol's face. But he kept his cool, and called his players together. He infused confidence in them, told them that could win this. It was very inspiring to see. Aslam had no clue about that last ball; it just beat him for pace. Another lovely yorker. What a match, and what an over. Just think about what was must have been going through young Murtaza's mind, with hardly any experience. He bowled an excellent over, and mixed his deliveries very well. In all my years of umpiring I've not been involved in a match like this. There was a good crowd on days one and three, but it's a pity not many turned up on the final day. Muzumdar: A lot of the guys were in their first or second seasons for Mumbai, and for Murtaza it was just his second season. I had to keep my cool. I made sure everyone was thinking of a victory. It was important for us to maintain a winning tempo. If you think of losing the match, you can mess up. I'd told Hussain to bowl a length ball, which we had decided before he started his run-up. I didn't want him to edge it for four. I had my fielder in, and the ball was fuller than anticipated, but luckily he missed it and it shattered the stumps. We just erupted in celebration, such was the feeling. It was really something special. To win a match like that, it was really amazing. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rookies come to the party : Maharashtra's rise December 16, 2007 Maharashtra started the season as unknowns. Mid-way into the Ranji Trophy and they're the talk of town, writes Sidharth Monga Chandrakant Pandit: marshalling his men during practice © Cricinfo Ltd Maharashtra went into the first match of the season with seven debutants. Some had not played much outside their districts, most were torchbearers for towns that hadn't produced first-class cricketers earlier. Unlike a few other states, Maharashtra hadn't been impoverished by the ICL (only a couple defected) but had decided to ease out a few players for a few fresh ones. Left to themselves in unknown territory, they've held their own. Halfway into the Ranji season, and they've been the side that's made everyone take notice. They entered the first match without Sairaj Bahutule and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, their two most experienced hands, but nearly grabbed first-innings points against Tamil Nadu. Had rain not intervened, a victory was on the cards. They went on to beat Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh before stunning Mumbai, at the Wankhede Stadium, for the first-innings lead. The defeat to Delhi in the previous round was the only blemish, one without which they were prime candidates for a semi-final slot. Now, tied in the second place with Mumbai and Saurashtra, they're still in with a good chance. It is tempting to think that such a young side would be happy with the performances they've put up so far, that results shouldn't actually matter so much. Their coach, Chandrakant Pandit, would have none of it. "What do we play for?" he asks. "It's not only for fun; we have to win. And I am obsessed with winning." It helps to have such a coach, one who's spent his whole career figuring out new ways to win. "In one way it was good for us that they were not experienced in the Ranji Trophy, because by the time they realised the significance of what they were doing, they were four games into the competition," Pandit says. Playing a natural, fearless brand of cricket, they threw themselves around readily. So high were the enthusiasm levels that they appeal every time the ball strikes the pad. Yet for all the enthusiasm and natural talent, it is tough to compete in the Ranji Trophy with no senior to look up to. There is a way to go about building a long innings, a way to work the batsmen out. Hrishikesh Kanitkar, a veteran of 14 seasons, joined the team only in the fourth game. "It was difficult for them, because I still think they are not a mature team," says Pandit. "Ranji Trophy is different from districts cricket; there you always play fearless cricket." What Pandit says is especially evident from the batsmen's approach. The openers go for their shots regardless of the situation, often getting out slashing outside off stump. "They don't have that Mumbai culture of the urgency, the aggressiveness. Some of them are from districts where they haven't played this kind of cricket before. Some of them are from well-to-do families from Pune" - Chandrakant Pandit The runs have still come; someone has put his hand up so far. Harshad Khadiwale, in his second season, scored a century in Chennai; Venugopal Rao and Bahutule bailed them out against Himachal Pradesh; Yogesh Takawale and Vishal Bhilare rescued them against Mumbai. The bowlers are no magicians but have snapped up wickets, including 40 against Rajasthan and Himachal. Greenhorns Samad Fallah and Wahid Sayyed have done well in Munaf Patel's absence. Salil Agharkar has proved to be a stable left-arm spinner. All have exceeded expectations. Few had heard of them when the selectors announced their names. None of them had played U-19 for India, as opposed to some of the other youngsters they were up against. Sayyed, for example, who is from Aurangabad, had not even played in the invitational league before that. When this team was assembled, the biggest challenge was to take them one level up to the Ranji Trophy. It had helped that Maharashtra had followed a practice of letting juniors train with the Ranji team. "We have two groups: colts and seniors," says Pandit. "Colts have Under-17, Under-19, or Under-22, but that doesn't mean a good 17-year old can't practice with seniors. That is how we are trying to blood in youngsters. "When they came into the team, they had a lot of fear because the communication gap [with the seniors] has always been there. And there was fear because they had watched them playing for so many years. I have been having group talks, trying to create a team atmosphere. We get together and watch movies. I ask them to initiate entertainment activities. But some of them keep to themselves, and that pressure can be seen at team dinners too. I have also asked seniors to go out of the way and help youngsters. Slowly the communication gap will be reduced, this is just the fifth match." Harshad Khadiwale: began the season with a century in Chennai © Cricinfo Ltd It going to take some time for the rookies to get close to seniors like Kanitkar and Bahutule, no extroverts themselves, but things are gradually changing on the field. Kanitkar takes the responsibility of holding the batting together. He is seen having chats with the other batsmen while out in the middle. On the day when Maharashtra are going to bat, one can see Kanitkar bat with the youngsters. When the duo recovered from their injures and returned to the side, some of the youngsters went up to Pandit and said they felt the difference. They weren't alone on the field, they were now backed by players with fine records. "I saw where they were coming from. We had felt the same with the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Sandeep Patil." Going into the fifth round as group leaders, they chose to bat first against second-placed Delhi. It was a tricky track and the batsmen played far too many shots. Towards the end of the second day, when Delhi were set for a big lead, the Maharashtra bowlers were not out there warming up. It was enough for the coach to have a go. "Our body language suggested we had already lost the game," said Pandit. "I had to give them examples of how teams have come back after conceding leads too. They don't have that Mumbai culture of the urgency, the aggressiveness. Some of them are from districts where they haven't played this kind of cricket before. Some of them are from well-to-do families from Pune." It showed in their second-innings batting as well. When a 100-run fifth-wicket stand seemed like taking them towards safety, the rest seemed too relaxed, as if they weren't expecting to bat soon. It took one hat-trick to seal the match. What was heartening, though, was their sign off. Defending 50 runs on the final day, they opened with a spinner, and took three wickets for 20 runs. The fielders were charged up, the bowlers were running in hard, and chances were being created. A point had been made: even after falling behind, they could be in the game, that winning ultimately matters more than exceeding expectations.

[Chandan]

PREVIEWS FOR ROUND VI December 16, 2007 With just two rounds to go, this has been one of the closest Ranji Trophies in recent memory. After five rounds, only Baroda are virtually assured of a semi-final slot, while the three other places are up for grabs. Two points separate six teams in Group B, and any of them can make it to the semis. And to make matters even more interesting, it is still mathematically possible that even Baroda, seven points ahead of the rest, might not make the last four. In Group A, although Delhi have the lead, both places are open as there are three other teams only two points behind them. Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have a fight on their hands to avoid relegation. After what promises to be a fiery round of matches, the tussles for semi-final berths and to avoid relegation might still not be resolved. Karnataka v Delhi, Ranji Trophy 6th round Confidence can be such a fickle commodity. Four more runs against Saurashtra in their fifth-round game would have given Karnataka victory, five points, a place near the top of the table, and a huge injection of confidence. Instead, their hopes disappeared with the setting sun in the picturesque Gangothri Glades ground, as KP Appanna was bounced in the last over of the match. That result means Karnataka go into their next game - against Delhi in Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium - low on confidence, and floundering near the bottom of the table. On the other hand, Delhi, who escaped relegation last season, are currently leading the table with 17 points in five games. A semi-final spot is just around the corner, but with three teams - Mumbai, Maharashtra and Saurashtra - sharing the second spot with 15 points each, they cannot afford to lift their foot off the pedal. Moreover, the weather in Chennai - the venue of their final game - has been fickle this season, which means they will want at least first-innings points here to prevent the elements from gatecrashing their party. The difference in the attitudes of the two teams was visible on the eve of the game. Karnataka were already looking at the long-term future, trying to mop up some pride from the remaining two games, while Delhi were cautiously upbeat. "We need to do lots of introspection. This [situation] is a serious wake-up call," Vijay Bharadwaj, Karnataka's coach, said. "Just because of those three runs, we have lost the opportunity to be near the top. But the flip side is, if we had achieved that, no-one would be talking about the state of cricket. We need to plan ahead from now itself." Theoretically, they are still in with a chance if they win the next two games, in which case they will have 19 points at least (21 if they win both games with bonus points). Sunil Joshi, who is No. 3 on the wicket-takers' list in the Super League, is hanging on to that hope. "What is gone is gone," he said. "We have two games left and I am confident we can do well." Delhi don't need to hang on to any metaphorical camel's straw. As Delhi coach Vijay Dahia said, the team has clicked as a unit. "Everyone has contributed. All the top-order batsmen have been among runs and the bowling has been good." Manoj Prabhakar, Delhi's bowling coach, agreed with Dahiya, but chose to be cautious regarding his opponents. "We are not looking at points and saying, 'Karnataka can be beaten.' They are a good side, with experienced players who know how to fight back." But Prabhakar must be happy with the performances of the young bowling attack. Pradeep Sangwan, the promising left-arm seamer playing in his first season, has already taken 20 wickets at an impressive average of 22.15, Parvinder Awana, the other seamer, grabbed a hat-trick in the last game while Chetanya Nanda, the legspinner, has taken 15 wickets. With Virender Sehwag out on national duty, furious speculations were abuzz about the other opener regular opener Gautham Gambhir, who has been advised three weeks rest due to a sore shoulder. There was talk of him leading the side tomorrow, but Dahiya squashed those rumors. "He is joining the team this evening only for his rehab sessions with the team physio. Like Ashish Nehra [who bowled a bit in the nets session], he will just be practising with the team." So Virat Kohli is expected to replace Sehwag in the team that beat Maharashtra, and Delhi are expected to go with two seamers and two spinners on a dry track that was the centre of attention. Narayan Raju, the curator, saw plenty of runs in it while Prabhakar felt it was a "dicey track. It looks too dry to me. We have to wait and watch." Karnataka have their own worries. Robin Uthappa is a doubtful starter since he is unwell, and if he doesn't recover, either Manish Pandey or Amit Verma could get a look in. However, two other changes are certain. NC Aiyappa, the seamer who has taken 21 wickets in five games this season, is unfit and Sudhindra Shinde, the middle-order batsman who has made 187 runs in three games, has been given a break. S Dhananjaya, the medium-pacer, and Devraj Patil will get a game. On the basis of what has happened so far this season, you'd have to pick Delhi as the favourites to take at least the first-innings honours from this match. Maharashtra v Saurashtra in Nagothane Tied at second place with 15 points each, Maharashtra and Saurashtra play the most crucial Group A match in this round. If Maharashtra opt for a green wicket here to atempt an outright win, they run the risk of playing into the hands of Sandeep Jobanputra and Sandip Maniar, the Saurashtra medium-pacers who have done well. Maharashtra can't afford to sit back either, as Mumbai and Saurashtra have come up rapidly. Saurashtra have made a late charge this season, but they have two difficult away matches coming up - their last game of the group stage will be against Mumbai. Himachal Pradesh v Mumbai at Hyderabad Mumbai are on a high after a sensational victory over Rajasthan at Jhalawar, and are back in semi-final contention. They will be going all out for an outright win. Himachal, on the other hand, have a fight on their hands to avoid relegation, and even one point from this game can prove crucial. Tamil Nadu v Rajasthan in Chennai Rajasthan have blossomed in the later half of the season, but will need to recover from the heart-breaking loss to Mumbai in their last game. They will still be fighting to avoid relegation, something they almost managed in the last game. They are currently at the bottom of Group A, trailing Himachal by one point. Tamil Nadu have warmed up after a slow start. Their outright win over Himachal in the last game has banished the possibility of relegation, which was a possibility halfway through the season. Andhra v Baroda in Visakhapatnam A strong performance from Baroda will lay to rest the remote possibility of them not making it to the semi-finals. Andhra, who lost to Orissa and Hyderabad in their last two games, still have a chance to make it to the semi-finals, because of the other results in the group. They have nine points from four games. Bengal v Uttar Pradesh in Kolkata This is a repeat of the 2005-06 final, and it could eliminate one of the teams from the race to the semi-finals. Both of them have two matches to go, and have eight points each. It will be interesting to see how the teams go about the task: they could either play it safe in this match, avoid relegation, and then go for the broke in the next, or look for an outright win here itself. Punjab v Orissa in Mohali Orissa have been the surprise package in Group B - their two successive outright wins have upset everybody's calculations. They will look to extend their dream run and get one step closer to the semi-finals. Punjab, playing their last game, will have to do their best here and sit and wait for the results in the other matches to see if they avoid relegation. They have plenty at stake too: if they win with a bonus point here, a semi-final spot can't be ruled out either.

[guju24]

^thx for the info chandan...looking forward for delhi and baroda game...

[Tapioca]

New Ranji format next season

From the 2008-09 season, three teams each from the two groups in the Super League and the top two teams in the Plate Group will play a knock-out from the quarterfinal stage. As a consequence, the Plate Group knock-out will be done away with and the prize-money restructured.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/17/stories/2007121760822500.htm

[Chandan]

Andhra v Baroda at Visakhapatnam - Dec 17-20, 2007 Lunch - Andhra won the toss and elected to bat first Andhra 76/1 ASK Varma 14* LNP Reddy 38* Sumit Singh 11-4-19-0 RV Pawar 3-1-7-0 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306335.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard Group B: Bengal v Uttar Pradesh at Kolkata - Dec 17-20, 2007 Bengal won the toss and elected to bat first Bengal 87/5 RR Bose 0* LR Shukla 22* B Kumar 6.2-2-20-3 Piyush Chawla 2-0-5-0 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306336.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard Group A: Himachal Pradesh v Mumbai at Dharamsala - Dec 17-20, 2007 Mumbai won the toss and elected to bat first Mumbai 71/1 AM Rahane 34* VA Indulkar 29* VS Malik 11-6-19-1 V Bhatia 6-0-15-0 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306330.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard Group A: Karnataka v Delhi at Bangalore - Dec 17-20, 2007 Lunch - Delhi won the toss and elected to bat first Delhi 123/1 S Dhawan 66* V Kohli 50* SB Joshi 8-2-25-0 R Vinay Kumar 12-4-30-0 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306331.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard Group A: Maharashtra v Saurashtra at Nagothane - Dec 17-20, 2007 Lunch - Maharashtra won the toss and elected to bat first Maharashtra 58/5 HH Khadiwale 24* KM Jadhav 4* KR Makvana 1-1-0-0 RA Jadeja 7-4-8-2 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306333.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard Group B: Punjab v Orissa at Mohali - Dec 17-20, 2007 Lunch - Punjab won the toss and elected to field first Orissa 95/4 P Jayachandra 14* RR Parida 20* A Kakkar 1-0-2-0 Gagandeep Singh 11-1-18-2 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306334.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard Group A: Tamil Nadu v Rajasthan at Chennai - Dec 17-20, 2007 Lunch - Tamil Nadu won the toss and elected to bat first Tamil Nadu 144/1 M Vijay 50* S Badrinath 78* G Singh 2-0-2-0 Shamsher Singh (2) 10-1-50-0 Scorecard | :openDesktopInd('/ranjisuperleague/engine/match/306332.html?template=desktop','desktop')'>Desktop scorecard ------------------------------------------------------------------- Manoj Tiwari is having a horrible season this year. In the last match he could score just 11 runs in 2 innings while in this match he has already been dismissed on just 2 runs! This way he is going on Rayudu's path who seriously damaged his chances for an India call up by having an extremely poor season after a phenomenally good one!

[Mr. Wicket]

Praveen and Tyagi looking the most impressive of UP's bowlers, but the bulk of the wickets have gone to medium pace (110-118 ks) B Kumar - one caught at cover off a slower ball, and a wicket a few minutes ago ct down the leg side, though the batsman didn't seem happy with the decision. Bongs in trouble. 91/7, as Chawla's just got one.

[Mr. Wicket]

BANZAAAAAIIII! When 91/7, most players opt to graft and grind. Sourav Sarkar chose to slog sweep Chawla, and found the man at midwicket in the circle. 91/8

[Chandan]

Are you watching the match, Salil? Where?