Ranji Trophy 2012-13, Round IV, Day 4

Latest scores

Siddarth Ravindran

25-Feb-2013

Latest scores

Group A

Result: Hyderabad 680 for 8 drew with Mumbai 443

Result: Madhya Pradesh 342 and 233 beat Bengal 299 and 138 by 138 runs

Result: Gujarat 117 and 551 for 8 (Juneja 135*, Kalaria 100, Kushang 7*) drew with Railways 308

Group B

Result: Baroda 324 and 133 for 9 (Patel 14*, Bhatt 14*) beat Haryana 295 and 160 all out by one wicket
Result: Odisha 202 and 255 beat Karnataka 213 and 179 by 65 runs
Result: Tamil Nadu 226 and 220 for 2 (AB Karthik 121*, Badrinath 45*) drew with Delhi 555 for 4 dec
Result: Vidarbha 266 and 105 for 2 drew with Maharashtra 282 and 261 for 7 dec

Group C
Result: Jharkhand 236 and 244 for 2 (Akash Verma 117, Vardhan 94, Chougule 20*) drew with Himachal 442 for 7 dec

Result: Kerala 297 and 114 for 4 drew with Goa 512 for 8 dec by 107 runs

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4.20pm That brings an end to round four of the Ranji Trophy, plenty of outright results, and several thrilling results. The most nerve-shredding match was the game in Lahli, where Baroda won by one wicket over Haryana, only the 13th time in the Ranji Trophy that a match was decided by such a slim margin. It was a terrific week for Odisha, who went top of the table with their second successive victory, upsetting Karnataka at home. We'll have more stories coming up later in the day. Thanks for all the comments today, joins us again on Saturday for round five.

4.10pm Victory for MP

Didn't seem that there was enough time for Madhya Pradesh to bowl out Bengal, but MP have needed only 45.5 overs to finish the job. Ishwar Pandey is their hero with his second five-for of the match. He completes the victory by bowling Sourav Sarkar for a duck. The six points means MP leapfrog to second place with 11 points, though they are still 12 points behind runaway leaders Punjab.

4.00pm Bengal nine down

Will Devendra Bundela's 100th Ranji match end in a famous victory? Shami Ahmed has fallen to Ishwar Pandey, who gets his ninth wicket of the match. Bengal are 136 for 9, and just about hanging on.

3.55pm

Shami Ahmed and Veerpratap Singh calmly bat out 15 minutes.

3.40pm Bengal sinking towards defeat

Shami Ahmed, the Bengal fast bowler who has already taken 11 wickets in the match, will now have to do the job with the bat. The big blow was the loss of Wriddhiman Saha for 29, bowled by Ishwar Pandey. Bengal's openers had begun with the intention of going after the target of 277, soon Bengal re-drew their strategy to play out time, now they are staring at defeat.

3.30 Railways draw with Jharkhand

3.20pm Jharkhand draw with Himachal

The match is called off with Jharkhand 244 for 2. Jharkhand are now in fourth place in Group C, with 11 points. Himachal move up to 10 points.

3.15pm TN draw with Delhi
Tamil Nadu 220 for 2, Arun Karthik 121*, Badrinath 45*. Three points to Delhi, and one to Tamil Nadu. Delhi move up to 11 points and third place, and TN are fourth on nine points.

3.00pm MP need five wickets in the final session to beat Bengal. Can they? Bengal have the consistent Wridhhiman Saha in the middle. Keeping him company is Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, who made a century in the first innings.

2.45pm Baroda win!

Thrilling scenes in Lahli as the last wicket pair of Utkarsh Patel and Bhargav Bhatt have added 25 to deny Haryana. The defeat keeps Haryana on 0 points after three rounds, while Baroda move up to the top of the table with Odisha, on 13 points. Bhargav Bhatt, who topped the Ranji Super League wicket charts two seasons ago, even had the nerve to hit a six with the match on the line. A tremendous day's cricket in Lahli, where 17 wickets went down in about two sessions. In the morning, I had suggested we could have outright results in four of the remaing matches, but hadn't counted on this.

2.40pm

Our reader Rakesh Lenka is thrilled with Odisha's win: "Stop calling Odisha weak team...if they win today(just 1 wicket away) they will be table toppers in group B(group of death)..even some of Odisha imports are star performers of other states like SS Das(Vidarbha),RR Parida(Rajasthan),SM Swain(Services)..I think Biplab Samataray'(He is my friend)s 86 yesterday is one of the best knocks of the season even better than some of useless double,triple centuries in feather beds."

2.35pm Odisha have won
CM Gautam is bowld by Alok Sahoo and Karnataka have folded for 179 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, handing Odisha a memorable victory. It was only last week that Odisha ended a four-year drought of Ranji wins by beating Haryana, and they have now added a second. Biplab Samantaray's 80-odd was a crucial innings yesterday, pushing Odisha to 255 in the third innings - the highest total in a low-scoring encounter. The target of 245 proved too tall for Karnataka's inconsistent batsmen, who have struggled to get their act together in the previous two games. Six points to Odisha, zero to Karnataka.

2.35pm

Sharda Ugra says: "Tea time at the Kotla: Tamil Nadu are safe and dry-ish on 191-2 in 68 overs. Arun Karthick is batting on 111* and Badri on 26*."

2.30pm Haryana also one away

Haryana has taken the ninth Baroda wicket, Murthuja Vahora has been bowled by Amit Mishra for 12. The last two are in the middle, Baroda need 24.

2.25pm Odisha need one more!

KP Appanna is gone for a duck, with Alok Sahoo getting his second wicket in three overs. How long can the last man HS Sharath hang around with Gautam? Odisha closing in on a famous victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

2.20pm Odisha scent victory

SL Akshay is caught by that man Biplab Samantaray off Alok Sahoo, and Odisha are just two wickets away from victory now. CM Gautam and KP Appanna, the pair who prevented defeat against UP, are in the middle. Can they repeat the dose again? Karnataka 170 for 8.

2.15pm Haryana take another one!

Baroda are now eight down as Gagandeep Singh is dismissed for 24, bowled by Mohit Sharma, who gets his second five-for in two matches. Baroda are 91 for 8, 41 away.

2.10pm

Did you know there was an Aussie umpire in the Ranji Trophy? Sharda Ugra met him yesterday. Here's the story.

Within the course of less than a month, Australian first-class umpire Simon Fry could find himself following an itinerary that belongs to an episode of the Amazing Race: from Adelaide to Delhi, Meerut, Delhi and then back. His umpiring roster for the last five weeks of 2012 could include the Ranji Trophy, the Big Bash and the Sheffield Shield.

2.05pm Odisha take charge

Biplab Samantaray is the man of the moment for Odisha, dismissing Stuart Binny and Vinay Kumar off successive deliveries. Karnataka are now 162 for 7, still needing 83 more.

2.00pm Baroda lose their seventh

Saurabh Wakaskar has been run-out for 22, what a way to go in a tight chase! Gagandeep still in the middle, he's unbeaten on 23. Baroda are 86 for 7, still needing 46 to win.

1.45pm Less than 50 to get for Baroda

Saurabh Wakaskar and Gagandeep Singh are both past 20, and their stand has grown to 36 in a fascinating finish in Lahli. Baroda are now 84 for 6, needing 48 more.

1.40pm

More from Sharda, who is watched the match like a hawk: "Unmukt Chand has come onto bowl, in the 54th over. Before he bowled his first ball, a kite swooped narrowly near his head. It would have been the most eventful happening of the afternoon had Arun Karthik not tonked Vikas Mishra for his second six over mid wicket."

1.35pm TN battling to safety:

Here's Sharda: Arun Karthik is inching towards his 5th first class century, first of the season, and Badri has just hit guided Pawan Suyal through third man for a boundary. TN is 147-2 half way through second session Arun Karthik on 92 and Badri on 10. The good news is that the over-rate is now at par."

1.25pm

Bengal likely to shut shop now, they have lost their second wicket, and both openers are dismissed. They are 53 for 2. Target is 277.

1.20pm Amit Verma falls
The tension mounts in Bangalore as Karnataka have lost their fifth wicket: Amit Verma is bowled by Deepak Behera for 27. Stuart Binny and CM Gautam in the middle with Karnataka 142 for 5, chasing 245.

1.10pm Jharkhand openers press on

Akash Verma, playing his third first-class match, has hit his first hundred as Jharkhand move on to 195 for 0. Dullest of draws coming up then.

1.00pm Baroda lose their sixth

Wakaskar and Gagandeep Singh in the middle now after Panchal is lbw to Mohit Sharma, who now has four wickets in seven overs. Baroda 58 for 6. What twists and turns in Lahli.

12.50pm Bengal start brightly
Chasing 277 against Maharashtra in about two sessions, Bengal openers have slammed 41 in six overs.

Not as bright a start for Baroda, who are finding things very difficult in Lahli. They are now 44 for 5, tenacious stuff from Haryana's bowlers. Manan Sharma has taken three of the five wickets to fall. The target is 132. Ketan Panchal (first-class average 19) and Saurabh Wakaskar, playing only his second first-class match are in the middle.

12.45pm Update from Kotla

Sharda Ugra says: Vikas Mishra gets rid of Baba Aparajith in the 5th over after lunch. TN are now 117-2; if something is to come out of this, only a second Tamil Nadu collapse in two days can make this happen.

12.30pm Thriller shaping up in Lahli

Baroda are in trouble, chasing what seemed a straightforward 132 against bottom-of-the-table Haryana. Their captain Ambati Rayudu has been dismissed for 1 and Rakesh Solanki for 8, leaving them at 34 for 4. Ninety-eight to get for Baroda, six wickets to get for Haryana.

12.20pm Here's a story in the Hindu which says six top players from the J&K team didn't play the previous round because of regional feuds.

12.10pm

GG Sudani wants a change in the Baroda team: "Kedar Devdhar should be dropped and some other wicket keeper batsman should be brought in. I have not seen Jaikishan Kolsawala who scored more than 400 rus in his debue season 2010-11. I don't understand why is not being called and Kedar Devdhar who is not performing at all is playing in eleven. Many chances have been given to KD. Let us bring JK who is good wicketkeeper batsman."

12.05pm Game on in Malappuram

Goa have taken two early wickets in Kerala's second innings, that too those of the in-form opener Abhishek Hegde and Rohan Prem who was so solid in the first innings. Eight more to go for Goa, can they do it?

Noon

Our reader Khem Thakur sends his thoughts on the Himachal v Jharkhand match: "I think Himachal is missing a quality spinner in their lineup. The pitch in Ranchi may not be that helpful for Rishi Dhawan & V. Malik as in Dharmashala. Akash Chopra will have to do something special in the 2nd session. Otherwise match heading towards dull draw."

11.55am MP bowled out

Bengal's Shami Ahmed takes four wickets in the second innings as MP end on 233, setting Bengal a target of 277 in about two sessions. Shami finishes with 11 for 151 in the match, the best bowling figures of the season. That means the top three bowling figures for a match have come in this round: Shami, along with Punjab quick Sandeep Sharma's 10 for 82 against Saurashtra and Vinay Kumar's 10 for 89.

11.50am Who is Virag Awate?

Here's our profile on the Maharashtra opener Virag Awate who has struck two centuries on debut, that too at the age of 31. Here's a taster of the story:

Life begins at 30, it is said. However, for most Maharashtra cricketers who haven't made debuts by 25, first-class cricket is as distant a dream as that of their state winning the Ranji Trophy. The last four Maharashtra captains were appointed in their early 20s, and the average age of their Ranji squad over the last eight seasons has been similar. The selectors had taken a chance in blooding youngsters since they thought the seniors were taking the team nowhere.

11.45am Tamil Nadu have lost their first wicket Abhinav Mukund caught at mid-on off Vikas Mishra 101-1, caught by Bhatia for 38.

11.30am

Our reader Avinash Purushotham is not happy: "Manish Pandey should be kept out of the team atleast for the next match he consistently failed in the all 7 innings of this ranji season... He didn't even scored 150runs altogether in this season "

11.25am

Here's Sharda Ugra: "Arun Karthik has completed his 50 TN total 91-0 in the 31st over, how they would have liked this yesterday, when the flopped in the first innings."

11.20am Goa take first-innings lead

Kerala have been bowled out for 297, giving Goa a first-innings lead of 215 runs. Three points in the bag for Goa. Think they'll just bat out the next two and a half sessions, there isn't really enough time to try force an outright result. Well, well, well.. Goa have enforced the follow-on, great to see that. Can they bowl out Kerala once more?

11.15am

Our reader Aby is thrilled with Gujarat's battling effort in the second innings: "Manprit Juneja is an outstanding batsman, who started his career with a double century last year as an opener. With the introduction of Smit Patel he had to bat at lower middle order. I think Smit Patel should bat lower down as any typical Wicket Keeper in 1st class and Juneja should open. Here's the career stats of Juneja right now... Matches: 6 Innings: 10 Not Out: 2 Runs: 636 HS: 201*(Debut Innings) Avg: 79.50 Hope he continues his batting form... All the very best... "

Manprit Juneja has just completed his third first-class century in six matches. For the second game in a row, Gujarat's batting in the second innings is saving them.

11.10am Update from Kotla
Sharda Ugra doesn't think there will be an outright result in Delhi: "The conversations are here about the team selection - but much quietitude has settled in to this match and after two hours of play, Delhi's shot at an outright is, well, shot. Tamil Nadu's openers Arun Karthik and Abhinav Mukund have dug in their heels, and TN is 77-0, Karthik is 39 and Mukund is 33."

11.05am Now Uthappa falls

After waiting four years for an outright win, are Odisha going to get two in a week? They have got two of Karntaka's most dangerous batsmen, Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, in the space of five minutes. Karnataka are 85 for 4, target 245.

11.00am Manish Pandey dismissed
Odisha's Basant Mohanty strikes again, getting Manish Pandey lbw for 6. Karnataka have lost their third wicket now, and the chase of 245 is getting tougher.

10.55am Haryana batting implodes again

Once again Haryana are showing why they are the only team in the tournament yet to score a point. They already have scores of 55 all and 60 all out this season, and now they can add 160 all out. They began the day on 127 for 2, meaning their final eight wickets went down today for 33 runs, leaving Baroda a target of 132. Three defeats in a row coming up for Haryana, who amazingly reached the semi-final last season.

10.50am Century in each innings for Virag Awate

What a story this is. When he turned 31 earlier this month, Awate hadn't played any cricket for Maharashtra. Now he has finally got his chance for a Ranji debut, at least 10 years later than the average Ranji debutant, and he has made it count, and how. He's now 106*, out of Maharashtra's 182 for 3. This after he slammed 126 in the first innings.

10.35am Things hotting up in Lahli

Haryana are only 121 runs ahead against Baroda, and have lost seven wickets. They began the day at a comfortable 127 for 2, but are now gasping at 150 for 7. Quick bowler Murtuja Vahora has three wickets while left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt has two.

10.25am Odisha strikes

Ganesh Satish has been dismissed for 19, lbw to Basant Mohanty. Karnataka are 64 for 2 now, chasing 245.

10.15am Hyderabad take the lead
Mumbai are likely to get just one point from the game as Hyderabad have overhauled their first-innings score. The bedrock of Hyderabad's batting efforts was the 386-run partnership between the youngsters Hanuma Vihari and Akshath Reddy (who is in his first match as captain). It was Hyderabad's largest Ranji partnership for any wicket.

9.55am Group C updates

Jharkhand openers Akash Verma and Manish Vardhan are batting steadily against Himachal. Jharkhand are 84 for 0, and probably need to bat out the entire day to save the game against Himachal. Still behind by 122 runs.

In Malappuram, Kerala are slowly sliding towards conceding a big first-innings lead, they have lost two wickets to slip to 274 for 8. Goa made 512/8 in the first innings.

9.45am Group B matches

Sharda Ugra is there at the Feroz Shah Kotla. She tells me that Tamil Nadu are holding on so far. "Abhinav Mukund has just pulled leftarmer Pavan Suyal for a four, after half an hour of obstinate defence. TN 20-0."

Karnataka are 45 for 1 v Odisha, chasing 245. Robin Uthappa is unbeaten on 25, Ganesh Satish on 7*.

Maharashtra opener Viraj Awate, making his debut at the ripe age of 31, is now unbeaten on 81, and closing in on his second century of the match. Maharashtra are 137 for 3 v Vidarbha.

9.35am Mumbai have another wicket, and Hyderabad are now 426 for 4, still 17 behind Mumbai. Hyderabad have lost three wickets for four runs now, after the heroics of Hanuma Vihari and Akshath Reddy yesterday.

MP are now 151 for 3 against Bengal, the lead is 194 and the match looks headed for a dreary final day.

Gujarat have moved along to 309 for 6, Manprit Juneja is unbeaten on 66. The lead over Railways is now 118.

9.25am Final day of round four, and we've already had three results. How many more outrights do you expect? Karnataka v Odisha, Gujarat v Railways, and perhaps Jharkhand v Himachal and Tamil Nadu v Delhi.

Ranji Trophy

Siddarth Ravindran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo