Haryana and Services gain promotion
Plate Group semi-finals
Cricinfo staff
22-Mar-2005
Another wet day in Chandigarh caused play to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. Haryana advanced to the final of the Plate Group by virtue of gaining the first-innings lead. Sunny Singh's gritty century and Amit Mishra's six-wicket haul turned out to be the decisive factors. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's volcanic 109 off just 75 balls threatened Haryana for a while before Mishra got stuck in with his legspinners. Haryana earned themselves a promotion to the Elite Group where they will play next season.
The final day's play at Dharamsala was also washed out and the winner - Services - was decided by the spin of a coin. Only 132 minutes of play was possible over the five days. It was a cruel blow to Himachal Pradesh's hopes after a memorable season where they hadn't lost a game and dominated the others. Services had managed only one outright victory all season but with luck at the toss gained themselves a promotion to the Elite Group. The final will be held at Rohtak from March 30.