Raina, spinners deliver big win for UP

Uttar Pradesh 302 (Raina 123, Utkarsh 5-73, Bhatt 5-105) and 294 for 6 dec (Srivastava 125*, Raina 65) beat Baroda 228 (Wakaskar 70, Rayudu 65, RP Singh 4-50) and 186 (Rayudu 56*, Gupta 4-14) by 182 runs
Scorecard

Baroda failed to show fight for sustained periods on a wearing fourth-day pitch at Moti Bagh, conceding the game by 182 runs to Uttar Pradesh. Baroda were on the back foot coming in to the final day, having lost two wickets for virtually nothing late on the third day after they were set 369. Baroda resisted through a counterattacking stand of 82 for the sixth wicket between Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu, but a reckless shot from Yusuf triggered a collapse.

Resuming at 5 for 2, Baroda were fortunate on two occasions in the morning. Abhimanyu Chauhan looked to drive RP Singh through the off side but the umpire failed to pick up the thick edge to the keeper. Shortly after, Chauhan's partner, Utkarsh Patel went down the track to the spinner and survived a regulation stumping chance. UP struck in the 22nd over when Patel chopped Imtiaz Ahmed onto the off stump. Chauhan himself was bowled by the captain Suresh Raina, leaving UP in further trouble at 73 for 4.

Rayudu and Yusuf, however, seemed undeterred by the ball not only turning square but also shooting through low. They charged the spinners and cleared the infield in their positive stand. Rayudu had a close call when he fended off a short ball from RP, with the ball shaving the stump but not dislodging the bails. With this coming after the umpiring howler, it clearly wasn't RP's day.

Pathan, who scored 42 of his 49 runs off boundaries alone, showed welcome signs of a return to form. He charged Piyush Chawla and launched him high over long-on and when he looked to clear the on side again the following ball, he ended up dragging it onto his stumps.

It was the start of the end for Baroda as the left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta ran through the lower order with three wickets in an over. Rayudu was left stranded on 56 and though he was let down by his team-mates in the end, it was a commendable innings from him on a tough pitch.

UP claimed their first win while Baroda, having been denied by rain in the first round, were still looking for their first win.