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

[apocalypse]

How teams can qualify for the semis or avoid relegation When the last round of the Ranji Trophy Super League begins on Tuesday, nine teams will compete for the remaining three slots in the semi-finals (Baroda are already through). That, and the fact that they are all playing simultaneously, opens up various possibilities. Cricinfo looks at what various teams need to do to advance to the next stage - or to avoid relegation. First, the rules: For teams tied on points, the separator will be the number of wins. If they have the same number of outright wins, a quotient will be applied: the ratio between the number of runs scored divided by wickets lost and number of runs conceded divided by wickets taken. Points table Group A Saurashtra, currently on 20 points and facing Mumbai Sure shot: Beat Mumbai, which will take them to 25 points, or take a first-innings lead - a total of 23 points. In the first scenario they will definitely lead the table, in the latter they will lead unless Delhi beat Tamil Nadu. In the reckoning: Even if they manage a point off Mumbai, they are likely to go through to the semi-finals, because they will be tied with Mumbai at 21 points in that scenario. And incredibly if Delhi manage a first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra a bonus point against Karnataka, we will have four teams tied at 21 points. In that case, Saurashtra and Maharashtra will go through by the virtue of most number of outright wins. Scraping through: If Saurashtra lose the match, they still have a chance if Delhi fail to take the first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra don't win their match against Karnataka. Mumbai, currently on 18 points and facing Saurashtra Sure shot: If they beat Saurashtra, they are through to the semi-finals, regardless of the results in the other matches. In the reckoning: A first-innings lead over Saurashtra will tie the two at 21, but Saurashtra have more outright wins so they will go through. And Mumbai will have to hope Delhi don't take the first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra don't win by a bonus point. Scraping through: If they concede a first-innings lead at the Wankhede Stadium, they still have a chance to go through if Delhi lose and Maharashtra don't take the first-innings lead. In case Delhi and Mumbai lose their matches, they will be tied at 18 points, and the quotient will have to separate the two, and as of now Delhi have a better quotient. Delhi, currently on 18 points and facing Tamil Nadu Sure shot: If they beat Tamil Nadu, they are assured of a semi-final place without having to worry about other results. In the reckoning: A first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu will get them to 21, but if Maharashtra win with a bonus point, Delhi will be knocked out. Scraping through: If they lose, they will hope Mumbai do too and that Maharashtra don't win their match. If Maharashtra take the first-innings lead, all three will be tied on 18, and the quotient currently favours Delhi in that scenario. Maharashtra, currently on 15 points and facing Karnataka In the reckoning: They will have to win with a bonus point over Karnataka and then also hope that only one of Mumbai, Delhi or Saurashtra reach 21 points. If they fail to get the bonus point, they will go through if Delhi and Mumbai fail to take the first-innings lead, or if Mumbai beat Saurashtra and Delhi fail to gain three points. Scraping through If they manage a first-innings lead and Delhi and Mumbai lose, the quotient will come into play. There is a faint chance Maharashtra might go through in that case. Tamil Nadu, currently on 13 points and facing Delhi Outside chance: If they beat Delhi outright with a bonus point, and Mumbai and Maharashtra lose, Tamil Nadu will qualify second from the group. If they win without the bonus point, and if either of Mumbai or Delhi lose and Maharashtra fail to take the first-innings lead, the quotient comes into play, and Tamil Nadu currently have the second-best quotient after Delhi. Relegation face-off between Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan A draw or tie will be enough for Himachal, but Rajasthan will be through if they win or take the first-innings lead. Group B Baroda, currently on 18 points and facing Orissa They are already through to the semi-finals, but will want to ensure they lead the group by taking a first-innings lead. Uttar Pradesh, currently on 14 points and facing Hyderabad Sure shot: A win over Hyderabad, which will take them to 19, will be enough to ensure them a place in the semi-finals. In the reckoning: A first-innings lead will take them to 17, which will not be enough if Andhra win with a bonus point. If Andhra wins, quotient comes into the picture. If UP fail to take the first-innings lead, Andhra will go through if they gain the first-innings lead. In such a scenario, a win for Orissa will also see UP knocked out. No second chance: If they fail lose against Hyderabad, they will be out of the race. Andhra, currently on 12 points and facing Bengal In the reckoning: A win with a bonus point, and they will still have to hope UP don't win their match. No second chance: A first-innings lead will not be enough for Andhra to go through, as even if its comes to a tie, their solitary win will be their downfall. Facing the axe: They need only one point against Bengal to avoid relegation. But if they lose, and Orissa and Hyderabad manage first-innings leads, Andhra will be relegated. Hyderabad, currently on 10 points and facing UP Only way in: They have to beat UP outright, preferably with a bonus point, and hope that either of Orissa and Andhra don't end up in a better position. Facing the axe: A first-innings lead will ensure they don't get relegated, but if they don't they give Bengal and Orissa a chance to move ahead. Orissa, currently on 10 points and facing Baroda Only way in: They have to beat Bengal outright, preferably with a bonus point, and hope that either of UP, Orissa and Andhra don't end up in a better position. Facing the axe: A first-innings lead will ensure they don't get relegated, but if they don't they give Bengal and Hyderabad a chance to move ahead. Bengal, currently on 8 points and facing Andhra Facing the axe: Trailing the second-last team by two points, a win will ensure Bengal are not relegated. If Bengal manage a first-innings lead, they will have to hope either Orissa or Hyderabad lose their match, or Hyderabad manage only one point, in which case a lower quotient will result in Bengal or Hyderabad being relegated.

[Mr. Wicket]

88/1, and this is starting to get really painful. Murtaza's tried a few bouncers recently, had the batsmen in a bit of discomfort but not much more. (Worth noting that he's gone over 130 a fair bit this spell) Oh well, at least TN is pounding down Delhi. [125/0. Go Mukund go! Go Badri go! etc...]

[Chandan]

Hussain claimed the 2nd wicket as well. But again since then, Saurashtra have had a steady partnership. If Mumbai doesn't look to take wickets in quick succession they might be staring at a score over 450 from Saurashtra.

[varun]

Ahem, meanwhile TN is 185/5 against Delhi :D

[Mr. Wicket]

Hussain claimed the 2nd wicket as well. But again since then' date=' Saurashtra have had a steady partnership. If Mumbai doesn't look to take wickets in quick succession they might be staring at a score over 450 from Saurashtra.[/quote'] Problem is not the runs on the board right now, it's also the time being lost. 156/2, and this is well into the last session on day 1. Saurashtra can happily draw this. Bombay can't afford to.

[Chandan]

13 wickets have already fallen today in Bengal vs AP match? What sort of pitch is that? Do they play Ranji on underprepared tracks? In Hindu we read about terrible pitches in Ranji. Are they bad only in terms or pace and bounce or also in terms of being fully prepared or under-prepared. TN's charge against Delhi at Chepauk has been slowed down, somewhat, with the dismissal of half the side. UP has also lost 5 wickets vs Hyderabad but at least their score is over 200.

[Mr. Wicket]

They're playing at Kolkata, this is no surprise. Bengal need to win this to avoid relegation, so they'll pull out all the stops. This year it's just a doctored pitch. Some time ago, it was a doctored pitch, plus Ganguly flying in and Utpal Chatterjee unretiring. :D

[Chandan]

They're playing at Kolkata, this is no surprise. Bengal need to win this to avoid relegation, so they'll pull out all the stops. This year it's just a doctored pitch. Some time ago, it was a doctored pitch, plus Ganguly flying in and Utpal Chatterjee unretiring. :D

Doctored pitches are a disgrace really. No wonder we don't get an opener with a proper technique in India!! In fact none of the batsmen have good technique these days in Ranji cricket. Why on earth can't the BCCI act?

[Mr. Wicket]

Actually, I'd disagree re. the batsmen with proper techniques - watching one kid right now who's just brought up his 50. Pujara looks class. This kid has India test caps written all over him. I like.

[Chandan]

Pujara was an opener at the U-19 level. Wonder why he went to MO in the FC matches when he knows how dearly India needs an opener and any opener with potential will be chosen for India. Do you have any idea why he demoted himself or was demoted?

[msb1991]

Do you have any idea why he demoted himself or was demoted?

I seem to recall him having a nightmare time for India A whilst opening.

[Mr. Wicket]

Give him time. The kid's 19, has 7 f/c hundreds in 23 games, a fine average, a solid backfoot game, good technique and some fine shots to make runs. Whether he opens or bats in the middle order, I expect him to be a bulwark of the Indian batting in five or six years from now.

[Don]

Gotta give it to Kotak boy, stonewalled for 300 deliveries haha to get 73 runs. Exactly what the saurashtra wants. Pujara comes in and strokes a stylish 61. Now for 2mmrow, make sure no collapse and put up 500. with Pujara gettin a dibby. Then Dhruv, Jobanputra, Maniar and Ravinder Jadeja can inficlit a innings defeat on bombay at the 'Khede. Perfect. Saurashtra for Ranji.

[kabira]

I know Pujara, he is confident lad....he should make it to indian XI in 2 years

[Chandan]

ROUND VII, DAY ONE December 25, 2007 Tamil Nadu 250 for 9 (Vijay 77, Mukund 51, Nanda 3-65) v Delhi Scorecard M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund added 127 for the first wicket, but Tamil Nadu collapsed thereafter to finish the first day at 250 for 9 © Cricinfo Ltd Tamil Nadu lost nine wickets for 123 runs at the Chepauk as Delhi made a spirited fightback after the openers had added 127. Chetanya Nanda triggered the collapse with three wickets in 13 deliveries, while Rajat Bhatia and Pradeep Sangwan followed up on the act with two wickets apiece. Earlier M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund had given Tamil Nadu yet another good start as they made Delhi wait for 39 overs for the first breakthrough. The half-centuries the two scored were Vijay's third and Mukund's fourth score in excess of 50 this season. But after the first wicket, the highest partnership Tamil Nadu managed was 28 runs for the sixth wicket. Uttar Pradesh 293 for 6 (Chawla 82, Tanmay Srivastava 81) v Hyderabad Scorecard Piyush Chawla and Tanmay Srivastava missed maiden centuries as Uttar Pradesh finished the first day in Hyderabad at 293 for 6. After Tanmay lost his opening partner Rohit Prakash in the first over, he anchored the first half of UP's innings. He shared stands worth 61 and 80 with Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif respectively and then became part of a mini middle-order collapse as 141 for 2 became 168 for 5. He scored 81, three less than his previous best. Chawla and Amir Khan stemmed the collapse and added 112 for the sixth wicket, Chawla taking charge and scoring a career-best 82 off 130 balls. Amir, the sedate partner, ended the day unbeaten on 44 off 119 deliveries. Bengal 46 for 1 trail Andhra 121 (Chowdhary 4-13, Bose 3-47) by 75 runs Scorecard Bengal bowled Andhra out for 121 at Eden Gardens to give themselves a hope of getting a bonus point and avoiding relegation. They ended the day at 46 for 1, 75 behind Andhra. Rana Chowdhary, the left-arm medium bowler playing his second match, took four wickets in 6.2 overs to rattle the Andhra batsmen. Ranadeb Bose took three wickets and SS Paul chipped in with two. Andhra's batting never got going as the 39-run eighth-wicket stand was the highest partnership, and B Sumanth, the No. 7, was the top-scorer with 30. Rajasthan 5 for 0 trail Himachal Pradesh 280 (Mukesh Sharma 101, Hemant Dogra 71, Aslam 3-64) by 275 runs Scorecard In a relegation face-off match, Himachal Pradesh wasted a good start to lose nine wickets for 121 runs and get bowled out for 280 against Rajasthan in Dharamsala. Before the collapse, Mukesh Sharma and Hemant Dogra had kept Rajasthan completely out of the game with a 127-run second-wicket stand. Mukesh went on to score his first first-class century, but saw the rest of the batsmen fall at the other end. Mukhesh, 101, was the ninth wicket to fall. Dogra scored his personal best with 71. Shamsher Singh dismissed the two of them, while Mohammad Aslam and Sumit Mathur took three wickets apiece for Rajasthan. Karnataka 2 for 0 trail Maharashtra 276 (Khadiwale 96, Mohan 51, Vinay Kumar 4-66) by 274 runs Scorecard Maharashtra, who looked well placed for a big total against Karnataka, collapsed to be bowled out for 276 in Ratnagiri. From 210 for 3, they lost the last seven wickets for 66, as Harshad Khadiwale missed out on his second century of the season. A quick half-century by Dhruv Mohan took Maharashtra to the eventual 276. Maharashtra had made six changes to their side; three of the in-coming players being debutants, while Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Sairaj Bahutule, Salil Agharkar and Kedar Jadhav were dropped. For Karnataka, D Vinay Kumar and NC Aiyappa did most of the damage, taking four and three wickets respectively. Saurashtra 202 for 2 (Kotak 73*, Pujara 61*) v Mumbai Scorecard Needing a draw to enter the semi-finals, Saurashtra ground down the Mumbai attack to reach 202 for 2 at stumps on the opening day. Shitanshu Kotak stuck to the crease to score a flawless 268-ball 73 while Cheteshwar Pujara hit a fluent 61 as Saurashtra sought to soak up as much time as possible. Mumbai gambled by asking Saurashtra to bat on a wicket that held no demons and Kotak soon made them regret it. Each minute he spent out there, offering a dead bat, ball after ball, he took Saurashtra an inch closer to their destination. The logic of Mumbai's decision to field was simple: get the opponents out for below 300, pile up a big score and go for the win. But with an inexperienced seam attack and with two spinners in the side, there was always a danger of the plan backfiring. It is still a touch early too pass the verdict because though Saurashtra have wickets in hand they don't have the runs on the board. If Mumbai can make early breakthroughs tomorrow, they will hope to run through the rest of the batsmen, who are not in great form. However, with Delhi - Mumbai's rivals for the spot in the final four - taking a firm grip over the game against Tamil Nadu, Mumbai could be feeling their time is starting to run out. A first-innings lead might not be enough as Delhi are comfortably ahead in the run quotient. The cricket at Wankhede Stadium was slow but interesting. "I don't care whether I bore the hell out of the opposition, I'm going to try and bat for as long as possible," Kotak told Cricinfo yesterday and he went on to do exactly that. His technique was simple: He shuffled from just outside leg stump, got on to the front foot and defended solidly. His chief scoring stroke was the flick shot as the bowlers, perceiving his shuffle as a potential for an lbw, slid a few on to the pads. Barring a couple of deliveries edged wide of the slips, he left nearly everything that was pushed across him. It was an innings of tremendous concentration and application that impressed Milind Rege, the Mumbai selector. "This kind of batsmanship needs great temperament and Kotak is playing exactly the sort of innings his team needs." Meanwhile, Pujara showed why he is the season's highest run-getter of the season (733 at the start of the game) with a composed knock. The head was still, the feet moved crisply to get him into position and he showed a penchant for the on-the-up square drive. Whenever the bowlers pitched a fraction short, he flashed them to the square boundary and punctuated his attacking strokes with solid defence. He had just a solitary moment of concern when he edged Murtuza Hussain well short of the first slip but for the main part, he was rock solid in defence. For Mumbai, Hussain was the bowler of the day. Short and lithe, he ran in purposefully all day and hit the right areas. He struck in his second over, sending Sagar Jogiyani's off stump for a walk after the ball cut in to thread the bat and pad gap. He found some bounce too and repeatedly cut it away from Kotak, a left-hand batsman, who played him with extreme care. However, Mun Mangela, the tall bowler who found bounce, didn't trouble the batsmen consistently enough. After being warned twice - in the 6th and 25th overs - for running on to the danger area, he went around the wicket for the majority of the day, delivered from wide of the crease and didn't make the batsmen play enough. Even in his previous Ranji game, against Punjab last season, Mangela found it hard to avoid running on to the pitch. The spinners couldn't do much on the first-day track and Saurashtra inched forward to a great position. Mumbai have shown in the past they can wriggle out of tough positions but they are running out of time. Tomorrow's play could well decide their fate. . Baroda 241 for 9 (Vohra 45, Basanth Mohanty 4-55) v Orissa Scorecard The Baroda lower order recovered well after Orissa, led by Basanth Mohanty, had reduced them to 81 for 6. They ended the day at 241 for 9, thanks to useful contributions from Pinal Shah, Abhimanyu Chauhan, Sankalp Vohra and Sumit Singh. Shah and Chauhan started the comeback with a 55-run seventh-wicket partnership. After Chauhan fell for 35, Rajesh Pawar fell quickly too, but Shah and Vohra added 27 for the ninth wicket. Shah got out for 44. The unbeaten last-wicket partnership of 71 between Vohra and Sumit was Baroda's highest. Vohra ended the day on 45, and Singh, the No. 11, on 29. These are career-best scores for Chauhan, Vohra and Sumit. For Orissa Basanth Mohanty continued his impressive first season with 4 for 55.

[apocalypse]

TN crashed against Delhi after an explosive start

[Cricketics]

Delhi on fire.. nice nice nice.. SEMI FINALZ.. HERE WE COME..

[Cricketics]

Semi Finalz here we come.. DELHI is comin to semis..

[guju24]

bombay lossing this for sure....pujara going to own them...not a great bowling attack from bombay...

[guju24]

thx for day one update chandan...