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

[Mr. Wicket]

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!

I fail to see how you can call it a horrible season for Tiwari when he has 397 runs at an average over 50 with 2 big hundreds including a double. As for his 2 here, he got a rough decision - inside edged Praveen onto pad. And yes, I am watching live. Meanwhile, Maharashtra getting flogged. CI says 58/5, I'll emulate Nelson Muntz and say HA HA - hopefully the barstards will go down, while Mumbai beat HP here.

[Tapioca]

Badrinath just became the second batsman to complete 600 this season. Pujara was the first.

[Chandan]

ROUND VI, DAY ONE December 17, 2007 Uttar Pradesh 128 for 2 (Rohit Prakash 58, Raina 55*, Paul 2-25) trail Bengal 149 (Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-25, Chawla 3-29, Praveen Kumar 3-51) by 21 runs Scorecard S Badrinath cracked his third century of the season to put Tamil Nadu in command against Rajasthan © Cricinfo Ltd Uttar Pradesh shot Bengal out for 149 within the first two sessions at Eden Gardens and then their batsmen proceeded to knock off those runs in a hurry. Bengal, who opted to bat, had a 40-run opening stand before twin strikes from the Kumars - Bhuvneshvar, the debutant, and Praveen. The big wicket of Manoj Tiwary followed soon as Bengal found themselves down at 43 for 3. Wickets fell regularly after that and only a 39-run ninth-wicket stand between Saurasish Lahiri and Ranadeb Bose took them past 100. Praveen, Bhuvneshwar and Piyush Chawla took three wickets each. They didn't even require the services of Praveen Gupta, the specialist left-arm spinner. Rohit Prakash and Tanmay Srivastava gave UP a brisk start, which was taken forward by Suresh Raina at the fall of Srivastava's wicket on 30. By the time Rohit fell for 58, just before stumps, UP were only 28 behind Bengal's total. Raina, who batted at a furious pace, was unbeaten on 55 off 67 deliveries. Bengal batsmen allowed Uttar Pradesh to grab the initiative on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Super League tie at the Eden. On a wicket with a tinge of green but no appreciable bounce or pace, the home batsmen lacked the discipline and the technical wherewithal to survive.

At close, the visitors were 128 for two after having restricted the hosts to 149. The home team did not seem to have learnt their lessons from the debacle in Siliguri where poor batting had led to their defeat. The batsmen have only themselves to blame for their disastrous showing. True, the Uttar Pradesh bowlers used the conditions perfectly but neither the wicket nor the bowling was responsible for the collapse. Laxmi Ratan Shukla’s decision to bat first will be debated. Coach Bharat Arun, while defending the team decision, said: “It’s always good to bat first on the Eden wicket. It generally does a bit in the first hour. “We survived that period and were 40 for no loss. All the wickets fell after that which means shot selection was poor.” Manoj Tiwary and Kamal Hasan Mondal, however, were unhappy with umpire S. D. Ranade’s decisions and did not hesitate to make their displeasure known. In between, Ranadeb Bose and Praveen Kumar also got involved in a slanging match and the umpires had to step in. After debutant Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (3/25) picked up both the openers, Praveen (3/51) dismissed Soham Ghosh and Manoj in successive overs. Captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla tried to put up a resistance till profligacy got the better of him. Piyush Chawla, whose variation often caught the batsmen in two minds, also picked up three wickets. Bengal were reduced to 91 for eight and Sourashish Lahiri tried to arrest the slide with an unbeaten 40. He added 39 for the ninth wicket with Ranadeb and that gave the innings some respectability. The early fall of Tanmay Srivastava had raised hopes of an Uttar Pradesh collapse but Rohit Srivastava (58) and Suresh Raina ensured there were no hiccups. The second wicket pair added 91 runs. Both batsmen never looked in any trouble against an unimaginative attack. Ranadeb and Shib Shankar Paul often bowled the wrong line giving the batsmen enough opportunity to settle down. Even Lahiri, back after being dropped against Orissa, didn’t offer much hope. Raina looked in fine touch during his unbeaten 55. There was not a false stroke during the 106 minutes spent at the crease and his presence was enough to evoke a sense of assurance in his teammates. Raina was severe on Sourav Sarkar, preferred to Ashok Dinda in the XI. The left-hander hit him for three fours in an over — two pulled through square leg and the last a cover drive. Bengal will have to get ride of Raina early to harbour hopes of a turnaround.

Mumbai 324 for 9 (Muzumdar 90, Thakur 4-99) v Himachal Pradesh Scorecard Amol Muzumdar missed a century and Ashok Thakur stretched his lead at the top of the Super League wicket-takers' list as Mumbai squandered a good start, and then came back with lower-order partnerships to finish the first day in Dharamsala at 324 for 9. After Ajinkya Rahane and Vinit Indulkar took them to 82 for 1, Mumbai lost both of them at the same score. Muzumdar then scored a majority of the runs, as wickets kept fell consistently at the other end. When Muzumdar fell for 90, Mumbai were 254 for 7, after which they lost two wickets and added 70 more runs by stumps. Vinayak Samant, who ended the day unbeaten on 31, added 55 for the ninth wicket with Iqbal Abdullah. Thakur, the left-arm medium-pacer, took 4 for 99. It was Amol Muzumdar’s experience and maturity, which held Mumbai in good stead yesterday. Muzumdar’s attacking 90 (13x4) against Himachal Pradesh at the HPCA Stadium was the real knock of any substance. The other batsmen flattered to deceive on a decent batting wicket. Ajinkya Rahane and Vinit Indulkar got 37 each while Ajit Agarkar (27), Iqbal Abdulla (32) and Vinayak Samant (31 batting) got Mumbai to a respectable total. Determined However Muzumdar felt it was not the ineptitude of his teammates but the disciplined and determined bowling by Himachal, which had them at 324 for nine at the end of Day One. “It is a decent enough pitch to bat on. I think I had the patience to see myself in and then attack. But you have got to give credit to the Himachal bowlers. “They were very disciplined and did not spray it around. They were hitting the right areas and obviously knew how to bowl on this slow and low wicket.” Impressive Himachal’s strike bowler Ashok Thakur was the most impressive after putting in a hard day at the office. The left-arm pacer picked up four wickets to take his season’s tally to 32, which means he is the highest wicket-taker this season and was well supported by former India spinner Sarandeep Singh, who picked up two wickets. Despite consistently building partnerships, Mumbai’s batsmen failed to go on and make a bigger score. Muzumdar, however thinks the final score is good enough to defend. “I think 324-9 is a good first day score. “It was a very bad time for me to get out. Naturally a hundred would have been more satisfying. But it was important for me to get the knock. The final score is not disappointing,” Muzumdar added. Saurashtra 73 for 2 (Fallah 2-7) trail Maharashtra 136 (Jobanputra 4-27, Jadeja 4-49) by 63 runs Scorecard Sandeep Jobanputra and Ravindra Jadeja ran through the Maharashtra batting order to give Saurashtra the perfect start at Nagothane. After having skittled Maharashtra for 136, Saurashtra recovered from early strikes from Samad Fallah to end the day at 73 for 2. Maharashtra's opening woes continued as Jobanputra took out Vishant More in the third over. This was followed by the wicket of Hrishikesh Kanitkar four overs later, and Maharashtra never recovered from the early blows. Sairaj Bahutule's 46 down the order took them to 136. Jobanputra and Jadeja took four wickets each. Fallah, Maharashtra's left-arm medium-pacer, gave them a good start with two early wickets, but Sitanshu Kotak and Cheteshwar Pujara ensured Saurashtra ended the day right on top. Fallah bowled eight overs, and took two wickets for 7 runs. Tamil Nadu 302 for 3 (Badrinath 138, Vijay 112*) v Rajasthan Scorecard S Badrinath scored his third century of the season and M Vijay his second, as Tamil Nadu took the Rajasthan attack apart to finish day one in Chennai at 302 for 3. Badrinath joined Vijay after Abhinav Mukund was dismissed in the second over, and by the time they were separated, TN were at 242. Rajasthan, without Pankaj Singh and Mohammad Aslam in this match, suffered while the two made merry. Badrinath fell for 138, while Vijay was unbeaten on 112. Badrinath has now moved on to No. 2 on the run-getters' list in this year's Ranji Trophy, and Vijay follows him at No. 6. #Badrinath was dropped when he was on 31 #Abhinav Mukund lost his wicket early — Photo: K. Pichumani WATCHFUL INNINGS: M. Vijay’s patient century put Tamil Nadu in a strong position at the end of the first day of the match against Rajasthan. S. Badrinath dominated and M. Vijay dropped anchor. The ploy worked and the second wicket pair laid a platform for a possible Tamil Nadu victory. Badrinath continues to make big runs; disappointments do not diminish his hunger. For the second season running, Vijay is firm and focussed; this suggests the opener is here to stay. The host ended day one of its crucial Ranji Trophy Super League match against Rajasthan at an imposing 302 for three. Skipper Badrinath notched up 138 (181b, 16x4, 2x6) and Vijay remained unbeaten on 112 (240b, 10x4, 2x6). It was a good toss for Tamil Nadu to win on a dry pitch that could offer increasing assistance for the spinners on the last two days. There was some purchase for the spinners on the first day but the Rajasthan bowlers did not hit the right areas. The fielding was shoddy as well. Consecutive centuries Badrinath was not complaining. He has grown in confidence and it shows. He now plays a lot more shots, innovates more. The Tamil Nadu captain had a slice of luck on 31 when he was put down at short-leg by Abhijit Sharma of off-spinner Shamsher Singh and made Rajasthan pay. His first 50 arrived in 62 balls and the second in 73 deliveries. He drove through covers, brought his wrists into play while stroking through mid-wicket. He also collected runs with deft placements, fine on occasions, and the judiciously lofted drives. Badrinath now has Ranji hundreds in successive games. Vijay looks good in defence and this is a healthy sign in an opener. He creates time for himself with deft footwork and can ease into his drives. The opener with a sound temperament already has a double century this season against Sourashtra. The in-form Abhinav Mukund left early, nicking one down leg-side. Then Vijay and Badrinath added 234 in 367 balls. Rajasthan missed pace spearhead Pankaj Singh. Careless shot Badrinath lost his wicket in a moment of carelessness and K. Shree Vasudeva Das was prised out by a delivery that bounced more than expected from paceman Sumit Mathur. R. Srinivasan, who joined Vijay, looked solid. The Rajasthan pace attack lacked sting. Young left-arm spinner Gajendra Singh should bowl from closer to the stumps. Off-spinner Shansher Singh has promise but needs consistency. Inclement weather that cut into the last session remains a cause for concern for the host. Andhra 214 for 4 (Reddy 67, Gnaneshwara Rao 57*) v Baroda Scorecard Andhra played out a solid day at Visakhapatnam as they scored 214 for 4 against Baroda. LNP Reddy and Y Gnaneshwara Rao scored half-centuries to keep the Baroda bowlers at bay. Gnaneshwara Rao was unbeaten at stumps, while Reddy was run out for 67 in the 55th over. Baroda were without Irfan Pathan and struggled to take wickets, but they managed to keep the scoring-rate down. Andhra played with caution to score 214 for four against fine bowling of Baroda on the first day of Elite group ‘B’ Ranji trophy match at ACA-VDCA stadium here on Monday. Y. Gnaneswara Rao (57, 238b, 3x4, 1x6) and captain M.S.K. Prasad (2) were at the crease. “The batsmen must stay as long as possible tomorrow to put on another 200 or so for a 400 plus total and then put Baroda in,” said Andhra coach Abid Ali. Opener L.N. Prasad Reddy (67, 162b, 6x4, 1x6) played a patient innings. He and Hemal Vatekar 24 (4x4, 47b) had to be wary of the swing early on when all the three medium pacers were in operation, and put on 45 runs before the latter fell to a fine catch by Yousuf Pathan at second slip off medium pacer Hamid Ali. Reddy then added 50 runs in the company of A.S.K. Varma (29, 80b, 4x4, 1x6). But, left-arm spinner Rajesh Powar had Varma caught at slip the next ball after being despatched over the long off boundary. The coming together of Reddy and Rao saw the score-board moving at a better pace. But, Reddy, who had looked set to make a century was run-out. Rao brought up his 50 in style with a straight six off Pathan but, as the day’s play was coming to an end, the well set Pradeep (30, 104b, 2x4) was caught behind off Sunit Singh. Orissa 273 for 8 (Halhadar Das 100, Parida 52, Siddarth Kaul 4-58) v Punjab Scorecard Halhadar Das, Orissa's wicketkeeper, scored his maiden first-class century as Orissa - reduced to 50 for 4 - finished the first day against Punjab in Mohali at 273 for 8. It was Rashmi Parida initially who stopped the rot with a 72-run fifth-wicket partnership with Pininti Jayachandra. Parida and Halhadar added 68 for the seventh wicket. Parida scored 52, and Halhadar fell to what turned out to be the last ball of the day to 17-year-old debutant Siddarth Kaul. Kaul took 4 for 58. A brilliant century by 21-year-old Haladhar Das helped Orissa get to 273 for 8 on the opening day of their four-day Group B Ranji Trophy Super League match against Punjab at the PCA Stadium in Chandigarh on Monday. Orissa, put in to bat by Punjab at one stage were struggling at 4 for 50 before Rashmi Ranjan Parida (52), P Jayachandra (36) and topscorer Haladhar (100) bolstered their innings. Parida and Jayachandra were associated in a 71-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Later Parida and Haladhar realised 78 runs for the seventh wicket. For Punjab Gagandeep Singh (3 for 37) and 18-year-old Kangra-born Siddharth Kaul (4 for 58) were the most successful bowlers. Delhi 337 for 2 (Kohli 154*, Dhawan 148) v Karnataka Scorecard Virat Kohli was a rousing touch during his unbeaten 154 © Cricinfo Ltd. Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan sent Karnataka on a leather hunt as they added 266 runs in 279 minutes on a feather bed of a track as Delhi did everything right in their quest for the semi-final spot. Delhi had amassed 337 for 2 at the close of play after choosing to bat. Lage raho and Jaage raho (Keep going and stay awake!) were the cries from the Delhi dressing room as Dhawan and Kohli indulged themselves in the middle. And it was the right prescription too as only they could have got themselves out. It was that kind of a day. The wicket was a road with no speed breakers and it was Dhawan who hit the pedal first with a drive and a fierce pull of S Dhananjaya in the second over of the day. He then played a crisp on-the-up cover drive and a spanking drive off R Vinay Kumar and the scorers knew they were in for a busy day. Dhawan was solid in defence, stretched well forward to drive and attacked the short balls with relish. If anything can be said against him it was that he mistimed some of his intended on drives as his technique had him using more of the arm than the wrists to turn the deliveries. The only bump on the smooth Delhi highway was the fall of Aakash Chopra. He survived a close lbw shout off Vinay Kumar before he was trapped, though the ball appeared to have struck him rather high. "You got to expect at least three bad decisions in a domestic season," Chopra said in a philosophical vein later. While Dhawan imposed himself against the seamers early, Kohli displayed flamboyance against the spinners. Time and again he drove the left-arm spinners, Sunil Joshi and K Appanna, inside-out with the turn through extra cover. Appanna even tried, as early as in the first session, bowling well outside the leg stump - with the wicketkeeper standing wide - from over the wickets to restrict Kohli. Perhaps he was daring the batsman's ego and Kohli responded by a brutal sweep and a jump down the track to whip one through midwicket. That was the end of that plan and regular programming resumed as the scorecard kept ticking over. They went in at 123 for 1 at lunch, with the partnership already over 100, and came out in an even more attacking frame of mind. Kohli cut Joshi twice to boundaries in the first over after resumption before Dhawan despatched Dhananjaya to the ropes four times - two pulls before he drove as the bowler corrected the length. Yere Goud, Karnataka's captain, brought in the debutant Amit Verma, a part-time bowler, to fire in his legbreaks to choke the runs. Verma succeeded, giving away just 17 runs in six overs. Appanna too bowled a restricting trajectory, giving away eight runs from six overs as the run-rate dipped. But the Kohli and Dhawan had added 138 runs from 35 overs in the second session. The last session finally brought some contest between bat and ball as Joshi bowled a teasing line and length. There was a short cover in place and he flighted the deliveries just short of a driveable length around the off stump. Kohli took up the challenge and drove uppishly just past the fielder but it was Dhawan who fell, lunging to edge to slip. He had made 148 from 211 balls with 24 fours. But Kohli continued to feast and brought up his 150 - he had earlier got to his hundred with a six over long-on - with a gorgeous extra-cover drive off the new ball and Mithun Manhas got into stride straightaway with some rousing drives and cuts on his way to an unbeaten 26. At close of play, Karnataka were staring at another long day in the field tomorrow.

[Cricketics]

Well Done Virat.. u made me proud again..

[The Outsider]

Virat Kohli justifying his spot in my Super Selector finally!!

[Cricketics]

this is his second hundred.. i hope he scores big tomorrow..

[Sachinism]

whoa finally Dhawan scoring runs again

[Cricketics]

Bose bowling good line and lenght.. that last over was pretty good..

[Chandan]

ROUND VI, DAY TWO December 18, 2007 Uttar Pradesh 437 for 7 (Kaif 91, Raina 63, Paul 5-99) lead Bengal 149 by 288 runs Scorecard Mohammad Kaif scored 91 to take UP to a big first-innings lead © Cricinfo Ltd Uttar Pradesh tightened the noose around Bengal, reaching 437 for seven on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Super League tie at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, while Manoj Tiwary was docked 50 per cent of his match fees for showing dissent. Half-centuries from Mohammad Kaif, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar put Uttar Pradesh in a position to press for an outright win after they had shot Bengal out for 149 on the first day. They ended the second day with a lead of 288 with three wickets in hand. Resuming at 128 for 2, UP lost Suresh Raina, who started the day on 55, for the addition of only eight more runs. Kaif got good support from Ravikant Shukla and Chawla, as he added 92 and 86 with them for the fifth and sixth wickets. Kaif fell nine short of a century, while Chawla scored 53. Praveen took the lead close to 300 with an unbeaten 50 off 71 deliveries. In reply to Bengal's paltry 149, Uttar Pradesh were 437 with P Kumar batting on 50 and Amir Khan batting on 30 at draw of stumps. Meanwhile, match referee Inderjit Singh Sachdeva docked Tiwary 50 per cent of his match fees for bringing the game into disrepute arguing with the umpire after being given out lbw. He was also warned that if he repeated the offence within a year, it would be level two offence and could lead to suspension. Ranadeb Bose and Pravin Kumar were let-off with a warning and rider that if they repeated their on-field feisty barb, it would lead to a level one offence and could be penalised with fine. Mohammad Kaif led from the front, scoring a fine 91 and setting the pattern of the day, after Suresh Raina was scooped up by Mondal off SS Paul adding just eight runs to the overnight score of 55. He was ably supported by Piyush Chawla, who blossomed to hit a spectacular 50 that comprised ten boundaries. His 65 balls innings of 53 was cut short by a brilliant diving catch at gully by substitute Priyankur Mukherjee off Sourav Sarkar. But Kaif continued with consummate ease and none of the bowlers except SS Paul showed any venom in their bowling. They bowled and hoped the Uttar Pradesh would commit some error and give their wicket. Kaif was the last one out today nine short of a fine ton, when he was brilliantly caught and bowled by Sarkar. Kaif had played early onto to a slower delivery from Sarkar to end his 170-ball essay that had 13 hits to the fence. At crease Uttar Pradesh looked set for a 450 plus score with Pravin Kumar batting on a strokeful 50 with five boundaries, and giving him company was Amir Khan on 30 with five boundaries. Himachal Pradesh 180 for 7 (Paras Dogra 42, Hussain 4-37) trail Mumbai 370 (Samant 60*) by 190 runs Scorecard Himachal Pradesh suffered two mini collapses before just avoiding a follow-on against Mumbai in Dharamsala. They were reduced from 56 without loss to 78 for 4 and then from 156 for 4 to 164 for 7 before bad light intervened and stopped play early. Debutant Hemant Dogra, Paras's elder brother, had given Himachal a good start in partnership with Manish Gupta, but Himachal went on to lose wickets in bunches, as has been the case with them earlier this season too. Maninder Bisla and Paras resurrected the innings with a 78-run fifth-wicket stand, but they lost three wickets in a hurry again. Murtaza Hussain took four wickets for Mumbai. Earlier Vinayak Samant, in partnership with Hussain, had taken Mumbai from their overnight score of 324 for 9 to 370. Samant stayed unbeaten on 60. Mumbai’s right-arm medium pacer Murtuza Hussain picked up four wickets in four overs to reduce Himachal Pradesh to 180 for seven at Dharamsala. Murtuza, playing in only his third Ranji Trophy game, the young fast bowler proved that he is quickly learning the ropes as he picked up the wickets of the first four batsmen in the line-up. Murtuza first trapped opener Hemant Dogra when he got him to play to wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant. Sangram Singh to edge the ball to Sahil Kukreja in the slips. In his next over Murtuza struck once again when he trapped Manish Gupta in front of his stumps. Sandeep Singh, the Himachal Pradesh skipper didn’t last too long when he was caught by Samant. At that stage the hosts were 78 for 4 and starting down the barrel. However, a fifth wicket stands worth 78 between Paras Dogra and wicketkeeper Manvinder Bisla helped Himachal recover. Sarandeep Singh (8) and V Bhatia (4) were holding fort for the hosts at stumps. For Mumbai, the only disappointment of the day was Test discard Ajit Agarkar's failure to take any wicket. Earlier, Mumbai began the day on 324 for nine and were bowled out for 370 even as Samant scored an unbeaten 60. At stumps Himachal Pradesh were 190 runs away from taking the crucial first innings lead. Maharashtra 136 and 34 for 1 trail Saurashtra 253 (Kotak 108, Fallah 3-52) by 89 runs Scorecard Shitanshu Kotak scored a painstaking century - his 11th in first-class cricket - to secure Saurashtra a 117-run first-innings lead against Maharashtra in Nagothane. Maharashtra lost one wicket in 15 overs before stumps to end the second day 83 runs in deficit with nine wickets in hand. Kotak's 108 off 277 deliveries was a crucial knock as the second-highest score for Saurashtra was Cheteshwar Pujara's 35. Resuming at 73 for 2, Saurashtra were in trouble at 100 for 5 when Kotak and Ravindra Jadeja took them past Maharashtra's 136 with a 59-run partnership. Kotak shared a 55-run ninth-wicket stand with Sandeep Jobanputra, who followed his four wickets with 24 runs. Seasoned batsman Sitanshu Kotak stood tall amid ruins and struck a fighting hundred to steer Saurashtra to a vital first innings lead on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Division tie against Maharashtra in Nagothane on Tuesday. The 35-year-old left-handed batsman, playing his 87th first class tie, used his vast experience of scoring over 5,700 runs to extricate his team from difficulties and pilot them to a lead of 117 runs over Maharashtra in the group A tie at the Reliance Stadium. Maharashtra ended the day at 34 for one in the second innings after losing opener Vishant More cheaply once again. Harshad Khadiwale (8) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (11) were the at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day with the hosts trailing by 83 runs. Kotak, playing a sheet-anchor role even as wickets fell around him, stayed at the crease for over seven hours in making a determined 108 off 277 balls with six fours as Saurashtra, replying to the hosts' paltry first innings tally of 136, made 253 after recovering from 100 for five. Kotak, not out 27 in last evening's score of 73 for two, lost his third wicket partner Cheteshwar Pujara in the fifth over for 35 at 87 and saw the backs of two other batsmen before stitching 59 runs for the sixth wicket with all rounder Ravindra Jadeja (34 in 73 balls). With Saurashtra's lead wafer-thin, they were in danger of being bowled out when they plunged to 198 for eight. But S Jobanputra (24) gave support to Kotak and helped the visitors recover to 253 before the centurion was dismissed by W Sayyed. Fallah and Bahutule grabbed three wickets apiece while Sayyed got two. Andhra 434 for 8 (Prasad 95*, Sumanth 72) v Baroda Scorecard Andhra continued with their slow but solid progress in Visakhapatnam against Baroda as half-centuries from MSK Prasad and B Sumanth took them to 434 for 8. After Andhra had lost overnight half-centurion Gnaneshwara Rao without any addition to their score, Prasad and Sumanth added 115 for the sixth wicket to further frustrate Baroda. Wickets didn't come quickly even after Sumanth's dismissal for 72, as Prasad found able partners in Marripuri Suresh, G Shankara Rao and D Kalyankrishna. The seventh and eighth wickets cost Baroda 35 and 30, while Prasad and Kalyankrishna had added 40 for the ninth wicket when stumps were called. Prasad ended the day five short of his century. Andhra, seemingly intent on securing the first-inning lead against Baroda in the Ranji Trophy Elite group B match, scored a cautious 434 by the end of the second day’s play here on Tuesday. The ACA-VDCA stadium pitch holds no threat to the batsmen. The outfield was heavy and the Baroda bowling tidy. When stumps were drawn 12 minutes before scheduled close due to failing light, Andhra had added 220 to its overnight score. Captain M.S.K. Prasad, who came at the fag end of the first day played throughout the second and was on 95 (4x8, 1x6, 239b). So far he has added 40 runs for the ninth wicket with D. Kalyan Krishna (20). Highlight of the day The 115-run stand for the sixth wicket between Prasad and local boy B. Sumanth (72) was the highlight of the day. This came after the host received a jolt in the second over of the day when overnight batsman Y. Gnaneswar (57) left with no run added to team’s total. Sumanth cracked 11 fours in his 147-ball, 177-minute stay. Punjab 207 for 8 (Kakkar 53, Basanth Mohanty 4-42) trail Orissa 323 (Siddarth Kaul 5-79) by 116 runs Scorecard Basanth Mohanty took four wickets to put Orissa in sight of a sizeable first-innings lead as they dismissed eight Punjab batsmen for 207 on the second day in Mohali. This is Basanth's second match and he had taken eight wickets in his first game. In reply to Orissa's 323, Punjab made a solid start to reach 46 without loss, but lost five wickets in a hurry to be reduced to 91 for 5. The Mohantys - Basanth and Debasis - took two wickets each in that burst. The resistance put by Ankur Kakkar was cut short by Basanth, as he dismissed him for 53. Things could have been much better for Orissa but for the 22 no-balls they bowled. Earlier Orissa's last two wickets added 50 more to their overnight 273 for 8. A brilliant century by 21-year-old Haladhar Das helped Orissa get to 273 for 8 on the opening day of their four-day Group B Ranji Trophy Super League match against Punjab at the PCA Stadium in Chandigarh on Monday. Orissa, put in to bat by Punjab at one stage were struggling at 4 for 50 before Rashmi Ranjan Parida (52), P Jayachandra (36) and topscorer Haladhar (100) bolstered their innings. Parida and Jayachandra were associated in a 71-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Later Parida and Haladhar realised 78 runs for the seventh wicket. For Punjab Gagandeep Singh (3 for 37) and 18-year-old Kangra-born Siddharth Kaul (4 for 58) were the most successful bowlers. Karnataka 0 for 0 trail Delhi 538 (Kohli 169, Manhas 124, Vinay Kumar 5-121) by 538 runs Despite Vinay Kumar's five-wicket haul, Delhi piled on a mammoth 538 Scorecard Delhi's charge towards a place in the semi-final was slowed down by bad light with only 63 overs of play possible on the second day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Mithun Manhas hit a stroke-filled century to help Delhi pile up 538 runs in their first innings before play was called off, Karnataka facing a solitary delivery, more than an hour before the scheduled close. Delhi would hope the skies clear up in the next two days as both Mumbai and Saurashtra - their closest rivals for a place in the final four, with 15 points each - have taken firm grips on their respective games. If both teams go on, as likely, to win their games, they would be on 20 points; Delhi, currently on 17 points, need to get at least three points from the first-innings lead here to stay with them. While his team-mates in the dressing room were busy tracking the competition on the internet, Manhas led Delhi to a position of strength. His shot selection was impeccable, punctuating his defence with shots around the ground to get 86 of his 124 runs in boundaries. He had one moment of concern when, early on, he edged Srinivasa Dhananjaya just short of the keeper, but for the most part he was composed. He cut and drove the seamers with elan, the highlight being two spanking cover drives off Vinay Kumar. Manhas made his own length through nifty footwork, late-cutting the left-arm spinner, KP Appanna, on several occasions. Appanna and Sunil Joshi tried to restrict him in the nineties with an over-the-wicket line but, after a few edgy moments trying to defend, he heaved Appanna over mid-on before lifting one into the sight screen to bring up his hundred. Mayank Tehlan gave Manhas good support in the post-lunch session, the two adding 96 runs as Delhi moved towards a big score. Tehlan tried to take on the spinners, providing the dressing room with some anxious moments, before he was asked to slow down. He finally fell with the score on 497, edging behind a full delivery from R Vinay Kumar, easily the pick of the bowlers. Thriving in the conditions, he pitched the ball on a length and got it to move a touch - enough for the batsmen to play him with caution. The figures for his first spell (12-2-19-2) made fine reading and he ended up with a well-deserved five-for. Dhananjay , the other seamer, was largely disappointing as he was on the first day. He too found some movement but didn't hit a consistent enough line to trouble the batsmen. Tehlan's dismissal triggered a collapse with three wickets falling in five deliveries. Vinay claimed his 100th Ranji Trophy wicket when he removed Manhas with a delivery that cut in to uproot the off stump before Joshi struck twice, luring Puneet Bisht to edge to slip and trapping Chetanya Nanda with an arm ball. With the end in sight, Pradeep Sangwan indulged himself, slamming three fours and a six off Vinay during an entertaining 16-ball 22 runs. Karnataka's innings lasted just a minute and a ball before a drizzle and bad light stopped play. . Tamil Nadu 302 for 3 (Badrinath 138, Vijay 112*) v Rajasthan Scorecard No play was possible on the second day in Chennai because of persistent rains. On the first day, S Badrinath and M Vijay had scored centuries to put Tamil Nadu in a commanding position against Rajasthan.

[Mr. Wicket]

UP all out for 494. SS Paul finishes with the least deserved 7 wicket haul ever taken. Utter crap. Plodding, 115-120 kmh bowling for the most part, batsmen committing harakiri with poor shots, open faced glides with a slip cordon/gully present, or getting caught down the leg side. Wow. And to think we were this close to picking him as an international bowler.

[The Outsider]

Wow. And to think we were this close to picking him as an international bowler.

Never pick trundlers when picking an international side.

[Mr. Wicket]

Yes, but I remember him being called up to the int'l side (and thankfully not playing in the XI) at least once or twice back in 2004. Christ, he looks awful. In fact, no Bengal bowler has topped 125 k's this game on a regular basis. Their attack seems very average. Big contrast to the Western Australia/South Australia game I'm watching on the other channel, where the new ball bowlers were consistently over 140 k's.

[The Outsider]

Yes, but I remember him being called up to the int'l side (and thankfully not playing in the XI) at least once or twice back in 2004. Christ, he looks awful. In fact, no Bengal bowler has topped 125 k's this game on a regular basis. Their attack seems very average. Big contrast to the Western Australia/South Australia game I'm watching on the other channel, where the new ball bowlers were consistently over 140 k's.

Bengal in their home games prepare juiced up wickets where they generally get away with due to having a decent batting line up even if they bat first, though their recent fiasco against Orissa would have given them a few things to ponder upon.

[Mr. Wicket]

Yup, hence my disdain for them in general, and my delight for their result here. UP nailed them when the ball was seaming/swinging all over the place, and then Bengal's plodders did **** all when UP batted. :D Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh all out for 214 at Dharamsala. Hussain takes a five-for in his third game, well done him (after that matchwinning over against Rajasthan last week). He Who Shall Not Be Named In An Indian Side got 1/65 in 14 overs, bringing his innings e/r down to below 5 an over for the first time in a while. And this is at Dharamsala (fairly bowler friendly conditions) against HP. To think I actually considered the prospect of him touring Aus. (shudder)

[Chandan]

Yes, but I remember him being called up to the int'l side (and thankfully not playing in the XI) at least once or twice back in 2004. Christ, he looks awful. In fact, no Bengal bowler has topped 125 k's this game on a regular basis. Their attack seems very average. Big contrast to the Western Australia/South Australia game I'm watching on the other channel, where the new ball bowlers were consistently over 140 k's.

And to top it off, some forummer was arguing for a long period with me on that "pace bowlers" thread that we lost a gem by not including Paul in our national side and how our country lost a talent like him who has such a wonderful record and all that. Now I'm asking you Salil, was Manoj Prabhakar given out rightly or wrongly in the first inning? He has had a pretty average season this time, and apart from a double ton in the first match on a feather bed, has hardly achieved anything significant other than just one century. What do you say here? Is the standard of umpiring atrocious or are these just excuses?

[Mr. Wicket]

LOL at the Paul comments, Chandan. I must also point out that yesterday he missed a dolly of a catch. Praveen Kumar skied one, Paul took an age to waddle around underneath it in a manner that would have made Grandpa Munaf proud, and then spilled it. I didn't see Manoj Prabhakar playing, so I really can't comment... :P Tiwari did get a rough one - inside edge onto pad given LBW. Umpiring's been OK this game - a couple of errors here and there scattered around. About international standard. But I still think he's done well this season. Remember, three centuries in the last few months - a double and a single ton in the Ranjis, and a solid hundred in the Irani trophy vs. Bombay right before.

[The Outsider]

There should be a ground rule set up and each selector watching the match should be handed a speed gun - anyone who averages less than 80 mph (a bit harsh, but at least 77 mph) should be automatically disqualified regardless the wickets or movement he gets.

[Tapioca]

Bengal openers just completed their third 100 stand of the season. The sequence reads : v HY : 45 v BA : 221 & 1 v PU : 194 & 8 v OR : 2 & 2 v UP : 40 & 100*

[Mr. Wicket]

Tyagi's since taken 3 wickets in a very fine spell, getting bounce at decent pace (low 130s).

[Chandan]

Bengal is 7 wickets down now and Tiwari once again was dismissed just for 24 after a 100 run partnership. What excuse will he have now?