Ranji Trophy 2012-13, Quarter-finals, Day 1

Run-out appeal goes to the third umpire, who rules Paliwal has made it for a tight single after Sarabjit dropped one in front of point. Could be a big moment, Paliwal has been Services' second-highest run-getter this season. Services 154 for 5, a lead of 20

UP hitting back now. Imtiaz has his third. Yashpal surprised by one lifting from a length, and the keeper moves to his right to reduce Services to 97 for 5

A breakthrough just before the new ball. Sheldon Jackson misses his century. KP Appanna was bowling with a leg-side field - only three on the off side - and had even bowled a leg-side wide earlier in the over. Sheldon Jackson launched one towards long-off, he didn't get all of it. The ball swirled towards KL Rahul who ran back and to his left, the ball was swirling around in the breeze but Rahul plucked an outstanding tumbling catch. Just what Karnataka needed. Saurashtra 250 for 5, Jackson gone for 83

A brace off Ladda gives Jaggi a deserving fifty, the classiest knock on the day. Nemat is till on 95. Jharkhand 193 for 3, Harbhajan wicketless after 15 overs

It's been a comfortable half hour after for Saurashtra. Nothing much to worry their batsmen. The bowling is looking flat, the sun is out, there's a nice breeze and the partnership between Jackson and Vasavada is nearing a hundred. Saurashtra 241 for 4, Jackson 81 not out

Some luck for UP now, Avishek Sinha hopping to play a shortish Imtiaz delivery, and chopping it onto the stumps. Services 75 for 3 after 21 overs. Over-rates tardy today with three fast bowlers each being used by both sides

As Nemat is desperate to sneak singles and complete what will be his first century of the season, he is issued an official warning for running on the danger area. Jharkhand 190 for 3, Nemat 95 not out

Another strike for UP, Tyagi getting Nakul Verma to drive and Mohammad Kaif at slip taking a sharp low catch, and then gesturing towards the dressing room, as if to say, 'That is how you take 'em slip catches." Services 67 for 2

Harbhajan Singh misfields and gestures at the crowd to come and help him field the ball. The 1,000-strong crowd goes wild and cheers the Punjab captain. And two balls hence, the ball goes to Harbhajan again. And this time around, he raises his hands in the air after neatly collecting at.

About 20 meters behind the sight screen there's a one-storey college building. First floor has classrooms which would provide perhaps the best view of the match. No students there as today is a Sunday. Was wondering whether they would watch the game from there tomorrow, but that section has been covered with white cloth now as a sort of extension of the sight screen

There was more noise from the Karnataka dressing room than from any of the fans here this morning. Now a few of them watching seem to have found their voice, "Hey Robin, hey Robin," they shout, besides much else in Gujarati that I don't understand

Not UP's day. Services batting without worry. The pitch is not doing as much as it was in the morning. However, it is still not easy to bat on. UP are not helping themselves by putting down catches, now Piyush Chawla at second slip dropping Nakul Verma off Imtiaz. Services 24 for 0

Services going straight into a huddle at the edge of the boundary before walking into the dressing room. UP straight into catching practice with four slips

The immovable Shitanshu Kotak has been dismissed. Rahul gets another catch at slip, his third of the day and that was his best of the day, shoulder high and to his left. Saurashtra 152/4. In nearly an hour after lunch, Kotak had added only four runs to his total.

Sheldon Jackson began the session with a pull for four off Abhimanyu Mithun, and hasn't been too troubled since. Shitanshu Kotak continues to leave as many as he can outside off, but has been using his feet well to the spinners. Saurashtra 147 for 3. Kotak 46 not out

Nemat flicks Taruwar Kohli through square leg for a boundary to raise his fifty and the team's hundred

And Sarabjit Ladda succeeds in setting up Manish Vardhan. The batsman charges down the wicket but misses a straight one to his off stump being shattered. And the long wait for checking if his foot landed correctly is over as it's ruled to be a legal delivery. Jharkhand 85 for 2.

Manish Vardhan plays the shot of the day so far, a cover drive off Gony that races to the boundary line. Ladda, meanwhile, is tightening the noose around Rameez Nemat at the other end, effectively using his drifter and wrong'uns. Jharkhand 79 for 1

Several dozen people watching the game, many of whom seem to be students from the university, where the ground is. One of them is clearly not a student - Kantibhai a local mechanic who has turned up wearing the famous Narendra Modi mask. Narendra Modi himself is expected to be at the Khandheri stadium around this time to inaugurate it.

It's quite a charming ground in Rajkot actually, though the infrastructure is a bit basic. It is in the leafy Saurashtra University campus and ringed with trees. The fears of an underprepared wicket have also proved unfounded. On the minus side, the outfield is bumpy, the dressing room isn't too comfortable and I can't see any SuperSopper. Saurashtra 113 for 2. Kotak 42 not out

Piyush Chawla, UP's "Clive Lloyd" according a journalist from the state, as he knows only one style of batting, crashes Suraj Yadav over vacant extra cover, then check-drives him down the ground before smashing him past mid-off. Around 50 spectators at the ground, most of them around square leg, where they can sit in the sun. It is rumoured that as lunch time approaches, the number of people watching the game increases at the Holkar Stadium, and decreases after the food has been had. UP 65 for 6. Chawla 21 not out

@Sidharth Monga: Rayudu is in for Baroda. Does that mean his chances of getting picked for India for the ODI's vs England slim? If he does get selected, will he be available for Baroda in the fourth innings? Your thoughts please!

Another one gone. Poor stroke. Even poorer considering the team position. Arish Alam standing in the crease and guiding a back of a length ball into the hands of second slip. Nazar's figures 7-2-14-3. UP 50 for 6

As usual in Ranji games, especially in smaller grounds, the fans finding it difficult to know who is batting and what the score is. We've been asked by several people already what the score is, and who is in the middle. Karnataka have already used three spinners - K Gowtham, KP Appanna and Amit Verma. So 30 overs bowled in two hours play. Calls off "be patient, be patient" from the Karnataka dressing room as Gowtham continues in the 31st over. Also, scorers aren't sure of names of the two ends, since this is the first Ranji game being played here

Will these matches (knockout matches from here on) go into the 6th day if there is no result in 5 days?

All happening in Indore, and Services making a mockery of pre-match reputations, as they had promised they would. Dwivedi, the wicketkeeper, promoted up to No 4, given lbw off Shadab Nazar, although he was hit high on the pad, and stared at umpire Saheba's raised finger for some before leaving. In his next over, Nazar took out Parvinder Singh whose cut was snapped up superbly by Suraj Yadav at gully. To make it a horrid morning for UP, Suraj, who changed ends, got Srivastatav to push at a length ball outside off, and the veteran keeper Sarabjit Singh made no mistake. UP 43 for 5 after 24 overs. It's not all over, though. There is a grass cover throughout, with lots of bounce from good length, some seam as well. UP have the bowlers to exploit these conditions

Was appalled to see Mumbai get away with the attempted manipulation in the last league match. Early indications are that they are in for a shock exit. Cannot be good for the team morale, & have a feeling Baroda are going to come hard, pumped up since Mumbai clearly indicated they were the weakest team..

As someone who's followed this Ranji season closely, can you tell me if there's at least one spinner in India who's good enough to play test cricket?

Spin is introduced in the 19th over in the form of leggie Sarabjit Ladda. And in the next over, we see the unusual site of five runs being awarded. Amitoze Singh's gentle medium pacer slips through Uday Kaul's gloves and thuds on to the helmet behind him. Jharkhand 46 for 1

Mithun troubling the batsmen here with some pace and a bit of bounce, Shitanshu Kotak was stuck on the crease as he edged one down to the third man boundary and later in the over Pujara awkwardly sends one past the keeper for four amid cries of "catch it" - 26 for 1

Indore is bitterly cold at the moment, as is most of the country, apart from places like Mumbai, which are never cold. The sun is out shining brightly, though, and there is no haze. Services have three slips standing very close to each other, and a gully, but Tanmay Srivastava and Mukul Dagar have batted safely so far. UP 3 for 0 in the 5th over

It's a chilly morning in Rajkot, where much of the Saurashtra Cricket administration is busy with arrangements for the inauguration of their brand new stadium at Khandheri. The Ranji quarter-final is taking place at the less modern Saurashtra University Ground. It is the first first-class match at this ground and the Karnataka team manager feels that perhaps this game should have been played in Bangalore, since both of Rajkot's international-standard stadiums are unavailable. The ground doesn't have much in terms of stands and only makeshift dressing rooms. When I arrived in the morning, the auto rickshaw dropped me off just behind the sight screen

Shahbaz Nadeem, the Jharkhand skipper, tried his best to underplay the star factor. "If you see, barring Harbhajan Singh, a great spinner, there aren't many big names in the Punjab line-up," Nadeem, the most successful spinner this season, said. "And even our squad has three-four players who have experienced the big stage by being part of the IPL, so that shouldn't be a big factor."

Men in uniform do not like to leave anything to chance but Wing Commander Deepak Bhaskar, the Services manager, knows his side needs all the luck it can get. Services are up against a team so formidable it can afford to go without the services of several India players, for it still has another three of them, and a bunch of other solid performers. Punjab, with all their early-season dominance, may have grabbed the headlines, but Uttar Pradesh also racked up four outright wins in the group stage, the same as Punjab. UP are also one of only two unbeaten sides among the quarter-finalists, Mumbai being the other.