Ranji Trophy 2012-13, Round VIII, Day 4

5.15pm What a day of Ranji cricket

25-Feb-2013

5.15pm What a day of Ranji cricket. I expected no less from today. The last two rounds of Ranji Trophy are always thrilling. And these results have left us with the promise of another thrilling round. Well done Mumbai and MP. Thanks for the entertainment. Till next time, okay bye

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8.45am Two matches are already over. Three are set for tight chases. In two others, teams are looking for big innings win and need 10 wickets today. Another match depends on how well Mumbai time their declaration. The other four will low-key, but that's okay. India-Pakistan can wait. We have superb Ranji matches lined up. Welcome to the final day of the eighth round

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Latest brief scores - scroll down for latest text updates

Mumbai 304 (Pawar 111*, Pandey 6-48) and 250 for 5 decl. (Jaffer 67) beat Madhya Pradesh (toss) 244 and 303 (Saxena 128, Zaheer 5-79) by 7 runs in Indore

Hyderabad (toss) 337 (Ashish Reddy 82, Sandeep 68) and 196 for 8 decl. drew with Railways 213 (Shinde 5-78) and 280 for 7 (Bhille 65*) in Hyderabad

Rajasthan 299 (Menaria 103) and 234 for 9 decl. (Chouhan 73) drew with Saurashtra (toss) 228 (Pankaj Singh 5-61) and 217 for 5 in Japiur

Uttar Pradesh (toss) 392 (Murtaza 106, Kaif 68) and 207 beat Tamil Nadu 179 (Murtaza 7-80) and 225 (Gupta 4-95) by 195 runs in Chennai

Gujarat 266 (Sandeep Sharma 4-40) and 232 (Sarabjit Singh 4-112) beat Punjab (toss) 268 (Uday Kaul 93) and 193 (Dhurv 5-76) by 37 runs in Valsad

Andhra 249 (Muzumdar 108*) and 229 for 7 (Prashanth Kumar 83) drew with Assam (toss) 394 for 5 decl. in Guwahati

Jammu & Kashmir 175 (Malik 5-41) and 248 (Rassol 83, Dayal 71) drew with Himachal (toss) 189 (Ram Dayal 6-50) and 189 for 2 (Karan Veer 88*) in Jammu

Haryana 587 for 9 decl. (Jayant Yadav 211, Mishra 202*) drew with Karnataka (toss) 272 (Kapoor 106, Harshal Patel 5-77) and (f/o) 332 for 2 (Uthappa 137, Kapoor 100*) in Hubli

Baroda 362 (Waghmode 113, Devdhar 104, Mundhe 4-72) and 231 for 1 drew (Chauhan 109*, Wakaskar 100*) with Maharashtra (toss) 449 for 8 decl. (Khadiwale 168, Motwani 91) runs in Pune

Tripura 278 (Abhijit Dey 76, Gadekar 4-72) drew with Goa 116 for 6

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5.08pm - Called off in Jammu too Himachal will have to do with just three points as bad light refuses to relent, and has stopped them 46 short of victory

5pm - Business for the day is not over The evening fog has thwarted Hiamchal's chase in Jammu. They need just 46 runs to win with eight wickets in hand, but it is unlikely light will improve in Jammu at all

4.47pm - Adrenalin gets the better of Ishwar He tries to his Nayar for a third six in the over. Doesn't get all of it, and holes out to extra cover where a nervous substitute takes the catch. MP lose by seven runs

Nayar is Jesus Christ Superstar for a moment. On his knees. The team around him. MP are stunned. First outright win of the season for Mumbai. Stunned silence in MP balcony. I know there is a Twenty20 starting in a few hours, but not even in its wildest dreams - even though it is between India and Pakistan - can it match the drama of this match. The effort, the endurance, the emotion... Oof

4.45pm - Ishwar Incredible Pandey Now Pandey has off-driven Nayar for a six. Flat and straight over long-off. And follows it up with another. Ice running through his veins. Eight required now. Stands tall and swings. No emotion on his face. Pick him for India already. Only eight required now. What. A. Match

Helter skelter is the field. A slip, a gully, seven men on the fence

4.41pm - Zaheer goes for second six It's Ishwar Pandey now. Clears the front leg, and slogs a length ball over midiwcket. I can't believe what I am seeing here. Not because it is Zaheer being hit, but the approach MP have taken. They are still going for a win. MP 291 for 9. Twenty required in four overs now. Boy what a game

4.35pm - Amarjeet keeps swinging Cuts hard at Nayar, gets a top edge, over slips for four. Beaten twice later in the over but is still not out. And then survives a close lbw shout off the last ball of the over. MP 281 for 9. Thirty required, 30 balls to go, one wicket in hand

And Zaheer is back on the field after getting treatment on his left hand. Because it was an external injury he can come in and bowl immediately

4.30pm - Zaheer Khan finally off Captain Agarkar replaces Zaheer, who has just bowled a 13-over spell for four wickets. Forty-three runs, 42 balls, one wicket. What a match

MP are still swinging. Pnadey slogs to midwicket. Gets two. Now 41 runs, 39 balls, one wicket

Now Amarjeet plays a blazing punch over point. Thirty-six runs, 37 balls, one wicket

4.26pm - One more for Nayar Abhishek Nayar gets the big wicket of Harpreet Singh, drawing him into a drive at a wide delivery. Edged and taken. Harpreet gone for 38. MP 267 for 9. Need 44 in 7.3 overs. Mumbai need one wicket

In the same over, Iqbal Abullah drops Ishwar Pandey at third man. Pandey charges and swings, toe-ends it to Abdullah at third man, and he has dropped a sitter. Nayar could kill him with looks

4.25pm - No time for result in Agartala We did get some play in, but haven't had time for even a first-innings result in Agartala. Both Goa and Tripura go away with a point each

4.20pm - MP still going for it Harpreet Singh and Amrjeet Singh are still swinging their bats but without results. MP 259 for 8, need 52 to win in 8.3 overs. It would be better now to deny Mumbai. Who will tell Amarjeet that? He has clobbered Zaheer for a straight six over his head. What a hit. And he has just opened his mark with that. Follows it up with a single to third man: 45 off 49 now. Zaheer walks off the field again, but he keeps coming back. He is not spending more than an over off the field

4.06pm - Zaheer gets five Zaheer Khan strikes again, although not without help from blundering umpires. Gets an lbw with a ball angling down leg. MP now need to dig in and save this match. They are 252 for 8 now, and need 59 runs in less than 11 overs. Mumbai need two wickets

One ball later, Zaheer is hit on the knuckles as he fields in the follow-through. Out comes the magic spray.

A ball later, a beamer. A beamer that goes for four. That's five runs. Zaheer apologises, Amarjeet sways out of the way. Need 54 more. Less than 11 overs to go

4.05pm - Back to Indore The niceties are out of the way, and let's get into the heat of the contest. Harpreet Singh drives Nayar down the ground for four, and in the same over bottom-edges him for another. Harpreet 35 not out. MP 252 for 7. Need 59 in 11 overs

And Zaheer is back to bowl the 12th over of this spell

4.02pm - One for the road from Siddarth Ravindran in Hubli

A post-match ceremony going on here. Amit Mishra has been named Man of the Match. Speeches from Mishra, Joginder, Uthappa and Binny. Pandey also talking in broken Kannada. The ground has been called "one of the finest in India" and that the arrangements were "as good as a Test match". Crowd going completely crazy over speeches."

4pm - Zaheer strikes again He has been bowling unchanged since tea. And now he strikes with the wicket of Rahul Bakshi. MP 244 for 7 after 66 overs. Now it's MP who will be playing for the draw. Twelve overs to go. Sixty-seven required by MP. Three wickets by Mumbai. Ranji Trophy at its best. Zaheer goes off the field with an unbroken 11-over spell for three wickets

3.55pm - Saurashtra have shut shop They are not going for it at all. The sixth wicket has added 38 in 31.2 overs. That's 202 for 5. They need 104 in 12 overs. Not happening

3.47pm - Parting shots from Siddarth Ravindran in Hubli

Crowd going wild as Binny and Uthappa walk towards them after the match, with loads of policemen around. Same reaction when Amit Mishra and Joginder Sharma then walk to the same section

He also adds that today, on Christmas, Joginder Sharma's wife has given birth to their second child. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Sharma

3.42pm - Abhishek Nayar - whaddaplaya I might not find his batting pretty, but in a Ranji Trophy match that's one player I want on my side. Rather that's one player I don't want in the opposition. The man never gives up. Denied a caught-behind by the umpire, he comes back two balls later to trap Satyam Choudhury plumb. Mumbai entertain thoughts of three points now. Nayar has turned this around. MP 241 for 6 in 63 overs. Mandatory overs start. MP need 70. And now MP defeat becomes a possibility too. And now MP will have to be cautious too

3.40pm - Landmark for Kunal Kapoor Kunal Kapoor becomes the first Karnataka batsman to score centuries in both innings of a Ranji Trophy match. And as soon as he reaches there, the game is called off. Karnataka 332 for 2, and take one point. Haryana get three. Karnataka have 15 points after seven games, Haryana 13. Haryana are out, Karnataka have the outside of an outside chance

3.35pm - Abhishek Nayar does it again for Mumbai After bowling a few tight overs, Abhishek Nayar has pulled off a superb run-out. Harpreet Singh bunts one to leg, Nayar runs across the pitch, towards short midwicket, Saxena wants one but is sent back (rightly). Nayar, though, is very quick and fields and hits the stumps direct. Saxena dives but can't make it. The small crowd rises for Saxena, but this game is still on. MP 233 for for 5 after 61 overs. Need 78 in 17 overs

3.31pm - Saurashtra approach safety With a 30-run partnership over 26.4 overs between Aarpit Vasavada and Kamlesh Makvana, Saurashtra are now closing to securing a draw, but will they go for an outright win once they feel safe? Now 194 for 5, needing 112 in 17 overs. I don't think so. This game is going to be a draw

3.30pm - Hyderabad find relief Having set Railways 323 for a win on the final day, Hyderabad were in a spot of bother thanks to a quick 48 from Mahesh Rawat, but Pragyan Ojha has just removed him. A minimum of 10.5 overs to go, and Railways need 99 with five wickets in hand, but we might end up getting in more than just 10.5 overs.

3.22pm - Comical relief in Hubli As tension rises in Indore, here is some fun from Hubli. Says Siddarth Ravindran: "Stray chants of 'match-fixing, match-fixing' as the fielder pursuing the ball down to third man doesn't seem to be running as quickly as he can. Turns out it is because his shin pads have moved out of place."

3.20pm - It's all happening in Indore Mumbai are taking their time to bowl their overs. Can't blame them. One wide called too. Ajit Agarkar and the umpire in an argument. Agarkar looks really angry. We don't know what the argument is about. Does it have to do with Abhishek Nayar's line wide outside off? But the umpires can always call them if they feel it is being employed as a negative tactic. This particular over - with 7-2 off-side field - has had all seven deliveries well outside off, but only one has been called. MP 223 for 4. Need 88 off 19 overs. Only one run off last two overs

3.10pm - Saxena and Harpreet take MP closer Some calculated hitting since tea - a partnership of 29 in 34 balls - has taken MP to 222 for 4. They need 89 more in 21 overs. Mumbai need a wicket here. Saxena is playing a blinder, cutting - literally - Mumbai to shreds

3.02pm - Draw in Guwahati The game in Guwahati has been called off after Andhra reached safety. Andhra take away one point, Assam three. Andhra are now placed second with 21 points, and next face Kerala who are fourth and three points behind. That will be some match

With these three points, Assam move into third position with 20 points. And they face Goa next. So Group C set for a thrilling finish too

3pm - Indore well poised MP have added 12 in 2.2 over since tea. At 204 for 4, they need 107 to win in 24 overs

I have got some live pics of Assam v/s Andhra match.. how can i send it to cricinfo?

Abhirup, you can send them to cricinfophotos@gmail.com . Thanks

2.55pm - Saurashtra continue with caution Aarpit Vasavada and Kamlesh Makvana have added just 19 runs in 16.2 overs. Can't blame them. They can't afford to lose wickets. Saurashtra 185 for 5. Need 121 runs in 27 overs

2.40pm - Moving east Andhra seems to have salvaged one point in Guwahati. They are 203 for 6, a lead of 58, with a minimum of 9.5 overs left. The over-rate is good, though, and Assam can push in a few more overs, but can they take four quick wickets?

No play so far in Agartala, and both teams should get a point each

2.35pm - Elsewhere... The only interest in Hubli now is to see whether Kunal Kapoor can get centuries in each innings. He's now on 88, and Karnataka head into tea at 284/2

In Jammu, Himachal are headed towards a consolation win. They are 159 for 2, and need another 76 to win. This defeat will J&K out too

2.30pm - Another thriller Over in Japiur, Saurashtra have lost a few wicket but they can still win. Going into the final session, they are 184 for 5, and need 122 in 30 overs. If they win, that will turn Group A into one mess, a mess we will surely love. A win for Saurashtra will take them to 22 points, one ahead of Gujarat. And Mumbai and MP are set to add to that cluster. What a final session in store

2.25pm - Zaheer keeps Mumbai in Zaheer Khan has been seemingly struggling with his fitness, going on and off the field. But with MP inching closer, he has come for a mid-afternoon spell to take two wickets to slow MP's charge down. Ankit Sharma and Udit Birla gone. MP 193 for 3 in 51 overs. Need another 118 in 27 overs. Last over before tea coming up

And Zaheer Khan pulls off another in that last over tea. He has peppered Devendra Bundela with bouncers, and finally gets him to glove one towards short fine leg. Aditya Tare, who has been ordinary behind the stumps, takes a blinder. Running to his left towards short fine leg, and diving full length to take it one-handed. Mumbai can now draw this, and take away three points. Jalaj Saxena, though, still remains

2.20pm - Saurashtra pull shutters.. sort of After losing five wickets, Saurashtra have slowed down, which is natural. They need to first ensure a draw before they can go for a win. The sixth-wicket stand has added 16 runs in 10.2 overs. Saurashtra 180 for 5 now, needing another 126 to win in 33 overs. Close finish again

2.10pm - UP do it too Uttar Pradesh soar to top of Group B with a huge win over Tamil Nadu in Chennai. Praveen Gupta ends up with four wickets, Ali Murtaza 10 for the match. Look at the list of their bowlers missing: Praveen Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RP Singh, Sudeep Tyagi, Piyush Chawla, and UP are still winning and still leading. What a team

UP now have 27 points with a game still to go, and are sure to go through to quarter-finals. Tamil Nadu, with just 13 points, are out of the reckoning

2.05pm - Gujarat do it That 65-run last-wicket stand would have given Gujarat the jitters, but Rakesh Dhurv has bowled Sarabjit Singh to seal the deal with a five-for. Gujarat win by 37 runs, get six points, and are now second on the table with 21 points. Of course the results in Indore and Jaipur might change that state of affairs, but Gujarat are No. 2 for the moment. Punjab end the league stage with 32 points, and despite outright defeats in both their previous matches they are easily through to quarters

2pm - Jalaj gets a hundred Chhakke se century karo [Get to the century with a six] is the chant in the crowd, but Jalaj Saxena keeps his cool, and pushes one wide of mid-off to go from 99 to 100. This has been some innings. What stands out is his back-foot play. A lots of cuts, and a hook for a six. That's his sixth first-class century, and it has kept MP on track. They have never beaten Mumbai outright. Today could be the day. MP 175 for 1 after 47 overs. They need 136 in 31 overs

1.55pm - Hope for Punjab The last-wicket stand between Sarabjit Singh and Sandeep Sharma is worth 53 now. It's getting dangerous for Guajarat. Both are not out on 25 each. Punjab need 48 more

1.50pm - UP one wicket away Imtiaz Ahmed comes back to take two wickets. Tamil Nadu 211 for 9 now. UP one wicket away from qualification to quarters

1.46pm - Zaheer off the field again

1.45pm - Last-wicket jitters in Valsad Sarabjit Singh and Sandeep Sharma have added 37 for the last wicket, taking Punjab to 167 for 9. They still need 64, though

1.26pm - Parvez Rassol strikes Aakash Chopra's season will end without a century. Parvez Rassol gets him on 50. Himachal 82 for 2. This game will be a thriller. Himachal need 153 more

1.25pm - A slowdown in Indore Just 18 runs off the last 10 overs. A mix of good bowling and the struggle of the promoted Ankit Sharma, who usually bats at No. 8. MP 134 for 1 in 37 overs. They now need 177 in 41 overs

1.21pm - Saurashtra lose captain Shah Jaydev Shah is gone for 34 off 35. Saurashtra 158 for 4. Need another 148 to win

1.20pm - Fifty for Chopra Aakash Chopra hasn't scored a century this year. His team is out of the contest, but he is fighting for a consolation win in the final match. Chopra 50 not out, Himachal 81 for 1, needing another 154 for a win

1.15pm - Assam will have to bat again A 54-run unbeaten fifth-wicket stand has kept Andhra moving towards safety. They are now 155 for 4. That's a lead of 10. Assam might have to do with just three points unless there is a collapse

1.10pm - Siddarth Ravindran from Hubli

Robin Uthappa dismissed attempting to guide an outside-off ball behind point, edges it through to the keeper. He's gone for 137, and Karnataka are 242/2. All very academic now, all signs in Hubli point to a draw

1.05pm - Jaydev Shah going for it Wickets might have fallen, but Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah is going for a win, it seems. He is 28 off 24. Saurashtra 149 for 3. Need 157 in 50 overs. What a ripper this final day is turning out to be

12.57pm - Gujarat inch closer In Valsad, Rakesh Dhurv has struck another blow. Punjab now 126 for 7, still needing 105 to win. Harbhajan Singh, who tweeted and then removed that tweet yesterday that he had a bad stomach, is batting now. He has hit two fours to reach 8 off 7 balls

PS: Siddarth Kaul gone for a duck. Punjab 126 for 8 now. Kalaria and Dhurv have three each

Rakesh Dhurv on a hat-trick, which Sarabjit Singh denies him

12.56pm - Zaheer is back on the field That's good news for Mumbai. He will be allowed to bowl shortly

12.55pm - UP get one more No. three for Praveen Gupta too. Tamil Nadu now 154 for 7. UP surging towards quarters, TN towards exit

12.50pm - Kalaria takes Gujarat closer Rush Kalaria's third wicket has reduced Punjab to 112 for 6 in Valsad. They still need 119 to win. Gujarata favourites now, and they desperately need this win

12.42pm - Saurashtra dented Pankaj Singh has gone through and hit the stumps of Shitanshu Kotak, who scored 54. Saurashtra now 129 for 3, and might pull out of the chase. They still need 177 in 54.3 overs

12.40pm - Zaheer missing Zaheer Khan has not taken the field after lunch. We don't yet know why. MP 107 for 1 after 25 overs. Need 204 in 53 overs

12.35pm - Tanmay Srivastava picks one up Tanmay Srivastava, the UP opener, has taken his third first-class wicket to send Tamil Nadu further towards defeat. UP in total control now. Tamil Nadu 142 for 6 with 52.2 overs to negotiate

12.30pm - Play resumes in Jammu Thankfully, the fog has subsided, and we are back with the close chase. Himachal 40 for 1, needing another 195. We still have 68 possible overs left. Both teams will still go for the outright win.

No play so far in Agartala, though

12.25pm - More intent from MP They have promoted Ankit Sharma, a left-arm spinner who bats at No. 8. Seems like a pinch hitter. MP 94 for 1 after 22 overs. Need 218 in 56 overs

11.55am - Excitement in east Meanwhile lunch is over in Guwahati, and Assam have picked up two wickets soon after the break. Arlen Konwar has taken them both, and Andhra are now 109 for 4, still 36 short of making Assam bat again

11.50am - Ten for Murtaza Just before lunch in Chennai, Ali Murtaza has picked his third wicket of the innings, taking his match tally to 10. Tamil Nadu 141 for 5. UP need five wickets in two sessions to go away with six points

11.47am - Saurashtra lose Pujara In Jaipur, Sumit Mathur has removed Cheteshwar Pujara just before lunch. That will dent Saurashtra's attempt at a tall chase. They are now 119 for 2, needing 187 in two sessions

Lunch summation from Hubli: "A session Karnataka have utterly dominated. They are 200/1 after 53 overs. Uthappa 115*, Kapoor 43*. Partnership is 110 runs, and the match seems set to meander to a draw. And the familiar electronic dance that has punctuated breaks in this match is back on during lunch."

11.45am - Gujarat firmly on top By lunch in Valsad, Gujarat have removed Punjab's fifth wicket too. Mandeep Singh gone for 42. It's 95 for 5. Gujarat now need five wickets in 56 overs. Punjab 136 runs. In favour of the bowling side right now

11.43am - Ojha's luck runs out Naman Ojha has driven what turns out to be the last ball before lunch straight into the lap of short extra cover. Gone finally. MP 90 for 1 after 21.1 overs. Now need 221 in 56.5 overs

11.41am - Javed Khan can't catch a break And Javed has been denied again. It's Ojha again. Short of a length, jagging back in, making a clear sound as it passes the inside edge. The umpire's finger, though, stays down. MP 86 for 0, needing another 225. Saxena rubs salt into the wounds with a beautiful cover-drive for four in the same over. 90 for 0 now

11.40am - Century for Uthappa Says Siddarth Ravindran: "The relief is obvious as Uthappa makes his first century since early in the 2011-12 season. A single to cover gets him to his milestone. He has both arms aloft and acknowledges every section of the cheering crowd. A quick century too, needed only 132 deliveries. Karnataka 174 for 1"

11.35am - Drama in Indore Javed Khan seems to have pulled off a blinder, running in from deep fine leg, diving on a practice pitch. Naman Ojha doesn't want to walk. They check with the third umpire. It looked clean to me, but the third umpire has ruled it wasn't. Mumbai are clearly not happy. MP 84 for 0, needing another 227

11.32am - Jalaj Saxena turns it on Jalaj Saxena is on a rampage much to the delight of a small Indore crowd. Nineteenth over on, and he has reached a fifty off 59 balls, bringing it up with a pulled six. MP 84 for 0. Mumbai are smarting. A dropped catch at gully by Suryakumar Yadav is followed by a bad misfield at point by Iqbal Abdullah. MP need 227 in 59 overs

11.30am - Siddarth Ravindran from Hubli

Karnataka batting exactly as they would have wanted to yesterday. The boundaries are flowing and the batsmen look completely at ease. Uthappa closing in on his first century of the season, and Kunal Kapoor continuing with the fluency that earned him a maiden first-class century yesterday. Karnataka 169 for 1

From a side most teams feared playing to a side which doesn't believe it can win matches, Mumbai's decline has been stunning. Stunning!
— Venkat Ananth (@venkatananth) December 25, 2012

11.25am - Roles well and truly reversed In Indore, MP openers have added 73 in 17 overs. Mumbai have dropped one customary catch. Suryakumar Yadav at gully this time. The rampaging Jalaj Saxena is the beneficiary. Deep field sets now. MP could run away with six points here. They need 238 in 61 overs

11.15am - UP move in too A second wicket for Praveen Gupta has sent Abhinav Mukund back. Tamil Nadu struggling at 109 for 4 now. They need to bat another 62.3 overs to salvage one point from this match

11.11am - Gujarat sniff outright win Big wicket. Uday Kaul is gone in Valsad. Punjab 57 for 4 now. Gujarat can sense it now. If they win, they will reach 21 points, likely joint-second along with MP. Interesting scenes. Punjab, meanwhile, have already qualified for the quarters

11.10am - MP turning the tables in Indore Mumbai gave themselves 78 overs to try to bowl MP out, but by the end of the 13th over - bowled by Javed Khan for 10 runs - they have conceded 57 runs without a wicket. MP not entirely out of this. They need another 254 in 65 overs

11.05am - Andhra moving towards safety They have reached 98 for 2, now trailing by 47 against Assam. There are 57 overs to be bowled today

11am - Gujarat turning the screws Punjab have lost their third. It's Rakesh Dhurv who has struck now. Mayan Sidhana gone. Punjab 54 for 3 after 22 overs. Mandeep Singh and Uday Kaul in the middle

Over in Japiur, Saurashtra have lost Sheldon Jackson. They are 86 for 1, and Cheteshwar Pujara is in. They have 68 overs to get the remaining 220 runs in

10.55am - Siddarth Ravindran from Hubli

The crowd finds it voice as Uthappa launches a couple of lofted on-drives for four. Now Kunal Kapoor joins in, with a straight drive for four. The drum sounds long and loud. Karnataka 122 for 1

10.45am "Dear Siddharth, Nice work on these blogs. One question? Is the Mumbai vs MP match being telecast live? The second day was telecast on Star Cricket, but I do not know about the other days. Is the live telecast available on the net? " Deepen, the match is live on Star Cricket, but not sure if it is on on Internet

And it's a fascinating match, Deepen. Mumbai have set a target of 300-plus in 78 overs. And they are wicketless after seven overs. MP are 21 for 0. At some point, if MP start feeling safe they can go after the target too. They have only one point to lose. Mumbai have three to lose

10.40am - Ali Murtaza on fire The left-arm spinner has now removed R Prasanna to take his match tally to nine. Tamil Nadu are 76 for 3, needing to bat another 72 overs to salvage a point here. UP are going after six points

10.35am - Back to the tight chases Punjab have recovered slightly after losing the openers for 11. They are going slow, though, and are 39 for 2 after 16 overs. Another 74 overs to go. They now need 192 more to win against Gujarat.

In Jaipur, Saurashtra have reached 67 for 0 in 20.3 overs. They need another 239 to win in 73.3 overs

10.30am - UP begin their push UP might not have given themselves the optimum time to go for six points - they neither enforced a follow-on nor declared their second innings closed - but they have picked up two wickets on the final morning. Ali Murtaza has got M Vijay, and Praveen Gupta has accounted for Baba Aparajith. TN 74 for 2; 73.4 overs to go

10.25am - The dead games In Pune, Maharashtra are 442 for 8, a lead of 80 runs. This is only the second innings of the match.

In Hyderabad, the hosts have reached 188 for 7 in the third innings, a lead of 312. So both these teams will get three points. Don't expect any further text updates from these matches unless something dramatic happens

10.20am - Assam keep pegging away J Syed Mohammad has picked the second one for Assam. They still have 65 overs to force a result. Andhra 68 for 2 now, still needing 77 to make Assam bat again

10.15am - Weather interruptions Yet to get any play on the final day ion Jammu and Agartala

10.10am - Siddarth Ravindran from Hubli

Haryana have got the first of the ten wickets they are seeking. Quick bowler Mohit Sharma, who is among the top five wicket-takers this season, sends Rahul's off stump flying several yards. KL Rahul b Mohit Sharma for 37 121m, 91b, 7 fours, Karnataka 90 for 1 in 26.3 overs. Uthappa on 49*

And soon he adds: "Someone has got a drum into the ground and they make quite a racket with it after Robin Uthappa reaches his second half-century of the match"

He also tells me that Rowland Barrington is now paying grade cricket in New Zealand

10am - Mumbai give themselves 78 overs Abhishek Nayar has attacked solidly today to help Mumbai get 58 runs in 10 overs. Mumbai have now declared, giving themselves 78 overs to bowl MP out. They lead by 310. Over to Zaheer and Ajit

9.56am - Mumbai set for declaration Ajit Agarkar has removed his pads and protective gear. Declaration is on. Mumbai currently lead by 293. Abhishek Nayar has reached a fifty too. Declaration is imminent.

9.55am - Saurashtra moving along nicely Opening with Shitanshu Kotak and Sheldon Jackson in the chase of 306, Saurashtra have reached 44 for 0 in 11.3 overs. Another 82 overs for them to get 26 runs or for Rajasthan to get the wickets

9.50am - Punjab struggling Stop the press. Two failures for Jiwanjot Singh in the same match. Rush Kalaria, who scored important 40 and 33 lower-order runs, has provided Gujarat two big breakthroughs. Both the Punjab openers gone. They are 12 for 2 now. Gujarat will fancy a win from here

9.40am - Siddarth Ravindran from Hubli

Not too many people in the ground this early. Haryana looking to bowl out Karnataka for the second time in two days, while the home side are desperate to at least get one point from this game. Karnataka 80/0

9.35am - Spoilsport weather Heavy fog in Jammu. A delay of at least an hour expected. What a shame. That match was on a knife edge. Himachal 32 for 1, needing another 203 to win

9.30am - Punjab lose one early Rush Kalaria has removed Ravi Indier Singh early. Punjab are chasing 231, and are now 2 for 1. Jiwanjot Singh is still batting. The other big names will be Mayan Sidhana, Mandeep Singh and Uday Kaul

No such jolts for Saurashtra, who have reached 21 for 0 in their chase of 306

9.25am - Dogs on the field but play carries on In Indore, two dogs are lolling on the field, but play continues. Such dedication.

Mumbai have reached a lead of 269, scoring 17 in two overs today. Ajit Agarkar is still padded up. It seems to me they will bat about an hour before declaring.

9.10am - More updates from the east Another delayed start in Agartala. We will struggle to get a first-innings result there. Goa are 64 for 4 against Tripura's 278.

In Guwahati, Assam have taken a wicket. They need nine more. Andhra 41 for 1 after 19.1 overs. Andhra still trailing by 104. We have 77.5 overs left

8.55am - Early starters All the matches start 15 minutes early on the final day, which means an even earlier start in the east. In Guwahati, after having conceded the first-innings lead, Andhra need to bat out the day to salvage one point, and they have begin well. They are 40 for 0 after 16.4 overs, and need another 105 to make Andhra bat again

Sidharth - as a long time Ranji fan (I like it even more than international T20s and ODIs) I really cannot thank you and cricinfo enough for this blog. I live in Canada, an literlly am up till 1-2AM on the weekends checking scores and reading comments. I am interested to know, how have page views and overall response been for this blog in terms of page views and other statistics? Do you see this being expanded even more in terms of coverage for next season?

Nadeem, thanks for the kind feedback. I don't quite follow all these page-view statistics, to be honest, but I can tell you we have a lot of operational constraints in our domestic coverage. There are only so many people available to work, and Ranji Trophy often coincides with the busiest time in international cricket. And there are 12 matches going on simultaneously. And there are other constraints that I had better not mentioned here. Anyway, we are trying our best to add to our domestic coverage, and you can expect better in the knockouts

Ranji Trophy

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo