Delhi suffer loss to Jharkhand
Guwahati, Feb 27: Dhruv Shorey’s counter-attacking hundred set up a fitting final hour but old warhorse Shahbaz Nadeem’s second five-wicket haul enabled Jharkhand to oust Delhi from quarterfinal contention with a thrilling 15-run win in the final over of their Ranji Trophy group H encounter here on Sunday. While Shorey should be credited for his superb 136 off 177 balls that kept Delhi in the hunt for a score of 335, they wilted under pressure during the final half an hour when Nadeem (5/83) and fellow left-arm orthodox spinner Anukul Roy (2/71) brilliantly closed down the run-scoring opportunities. Nadeem’s 10-wicket match haul ensured that Jharkhand, with full six points, stay in contention for a knockout berth. (PTI)
Mumbai defeat Goa by 119 runs
Ahmedabad, Feb 27: Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani singlehandedly carried Mumbai to the top of the points table as the 44-time champions thrashed Goa by 119 runs after having conceded a 164-run first-innings lead in their group D match. Mulani had match figures of 11 for 167 (6/107 and 5/60) along with a crucial half-century and a 116-run ninth-wicket stand with fellow spinner Tanush Kotian (98 and 4 wickets) that took Mumbai to 395/9, leaving Goa with a tricky 232-run chase on the final day. However, Goa managed only 112 runs in 48 overs. Mumbai are on top of group D with nine points from two games. (PTI)
Bengal earn second win on trot
Cuttack, Feb 27: Bengal once again rode on Shahbaz Ahmed’s all-round effort to thrash Hyderabad by 72 runs for their second successive win in the Ranji Trophy here on Sunday. Fresh from scripting Bengal’s epic turnaround against Baroda in the previous group B match, the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder followed up his gritty second innings 51 with fine figures of 3/41. Pacer Akash Deep was the wrecker-in-chief (4/41) as Hyderabad, who were overnight 16 for three in their pursuit of 239, folded for 166 inside two sessions. Mukesh Kumar (2/49) and Ishan Porel (1/20) were also among the wickets as Bengal (12 points) went past Hyderabad to occupy top spot in Group B. Tilak Varma (90) waged a lone battle for Hyderabad. (PTI)
Uttarakhand rout Rajasthan
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 27: Uttarakhand thrashed Rajasthan by 299 runs on the fourth and final day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group E match here on Sunday to top the points table with 12 points. In the other match in the group, Andhra settled for a draw with Services to pick up three points. Resuming at 58/3 in pursuit of a mammoth target of 455, Rajasthan caved in without much of a fight as they were bundled out for 155 in 68.4 overs. Only captain Ashok Maneria (45). For Uttarakhand, left-arm spinners Mayank Mishra (4/26) and Swapnil Singh (4/62) did most of the damage and bowled the team to a well-deserved victory and six points. (PTI)
Karnataka rout J&K by 117 runs
Chennai, Feb 27: Karnataka posted an emphatic 117-run win over Jammu and Kashmir while Railways had to settle for first innings points against Pondicherry on the fourth and final day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C matches here on Sunday. India pacer Prasidh Krishna, who picked six wickets in the first innings, bagged four more scalps to end with a 10-wicket haul (10/94) as Karnataka bowled out J&K for 390 despite a stubborn century by captain Ian Dev Singh Chauhan (110). Resuming at the overnight score of 190/4, J & K continued to fight through Ian Dev Singh and Abdul Samad, who made a belligerent 70. The two added 143 runs for the fifth wicket to defy the Karnataka attack. However, Prasidh Krishna returned to polish off the tail and secure a win for his team. (PTI)
Punjab beat Haryana by 10 wkts
New Delhi, Feb 27: Punjab bowlers impressed after a superlative batting effort from Mandeep Singh and Anmol Malhotra to set up an easy 10-wicket win over Haryana in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group F match here on Sunday. Resuming the day on 149/4 after following on, Haryana folded their second innings with the addition of just 54 runs as the trio of Baltej Singh (3/17), Siddharth Kaul (2/75) and Abhishek Sharma (3/15) ran through their batting lineup to set Punjab an easy target of 42 runs. In reply, Punjab overhauled the target in 8.5 overs with Prabhismaran Singh (25 *) and Abhishek Sharma (20*) sealing the win with a bonus point. After the win, Punjab climbed to the top of the group F table with 10 points. (PTI)
Nagaland trump Arunachal
Kolkata, Feb 27: Nagaland thrashed Arunachal Pradesh by an innings and 83 runs in the Ranji Trophy here on Sunday to jump to the top of the plate group table. Seasoned all-rounder Rongsen Jonathan was the star of the final day’s play with a career-best 5/52 as Nagaland bowled out Arunachal Pradesh for 237 runs in their second essay to coast to bonus point win. Shrikant Mundhe was adjudged Man of the Match for his first innings double century that powered Nagaland to 536/7 declared in reply to Arunachal Pradesh’s 216. Nagaland now have 13 points, three points ahead of Manipur. (PTI)