Ranji round-up - TN close in on knockouts; Maharashtra stun Baroda

Vidarbha overturned a 100-run deficit to clinch a stunning 221-run win over Rajasthan in Jaipur to assure themselves of a knockouts berth from Group B. Their fifth outright win in six games was set up by Akshay Wadkar, the captain, who struck a combative second-innings century after they'd been effectively reduced to 44 for 5.

Wadkar was assisted by Yash Rathod, who made 98, and fast bowler Nachiket Bhute who made 87 from No. 10. The eighth-wicket stand between Wadkar and Bhute was worth 172. Rajasthan never got going in their target of 329; they were bowled out for 107.

Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey picked up 5 for 51 - his fifth five-for this season. Dubey now sits on top of the wicket charts for the season - he has 42 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 14.55. Jammu & Kashmir's Auqib Nabi comes next with 38 wickets.

His participation in the first half of the Ranji season was hampered due to a thumb injury, but R Sai Kishore, the captain, made an impact in his just third game, his match haul of eight wickets helping Tamil Nadu beat Chandigarh in Salem. Sai Kishore profited from having an equally aggressive bowler wheel away from the other end - fellow left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram too picked up four wickets in the second innings, and a match haul of nine wickets.

Before the spin twins left their mark on the final day, Tamil Nadu were set up by Vijay Shankar's 150 that helped them set Chandigarh a target of 403. The win took TN to the top of Group D; a draw in their next game against Jharkhand should see them through to the knockouts. Chandigarh and Saurashtra are the other two teams in the running for a knockouts berth from the group.

A miniscule lead of just seven runs proved massive in the end as Kerala defied conditions and MP's bowling attack to secure a draw that gave them three crucial points. This put them in a three-way race with Karnataka and Haryana for the knockouts from Group C. Kerala are currently second with 21 points, while Karnataka are on 19. Haryana top the pool with 26 points.

Kerala were set a 363 target to win, but more importantly, needed to bat out at least 100 overs to secure a draw. Those hopes appeared crushed when they stumbled to 47 for 5 by lunch on the final day. But a stunning lower-order rearguard helped them script a miracle. This effort was led by Mohammad Azharuddeen and Aditya Sarwate, who made 68 and 80 respectively.

Kerala's ninth-wicket pair of B Aparajith and MD Nideesh batted out over an hour and 13.4 overs under fading light to secure a draw from the jaws of defeat. MP threw everything they had at Kerala, with Kuldeep Sen picking up 3 for 64, while left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya wheeled away for 37 overs for his three wickets.

Baroda's position at the top of Group A received a jolt as their defeat to Maharashtra left them in slightly troubled waters. This result coincided with Jammu & Kashmir's upset of Mumbai that took them to the top of the table. Baroda now play J&K in what is effectively a must-win for them to keep their knockouts hopes alive, considering Mumbai, who are in third position, have a relatively easier draw as they play Meghalaya.

Baroda's defeat will rankle as they couldn't bat out a little more than two sessions to secure a draw. Maharashtra batted big to extend their second innings well into the final day, when they declared on 464 for 7 to set Baroda a target of 617. Baroda lasted just 36 overs and were bowled out for 177 with left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary picking up 5 for 76.