Sulzberger rocks MRF as Kiwis enter semi-final

On the back of a five-wicket haul from off-spinner Glen Sulzburger (5/73) New Zealand 'A' brushed aside MRF and entered the semi-final of the MRF Buchi Babu Tournament. They now play Ranji finalists Indian Railways.

On a day where the heat was intense in Chennai, the visitors held their nerve as MRF set about chasing an improbable score of 473 for the first innings lead. In doing so, the home side capitulated to 318 all out off 99 overs.

Starting the day on 113/2, the MRF side needed over 300 runs to overhaul the New Zealand 'A' score. Unbeaten on 45 overnight, skipper S Sriram managed to add just 10 runs before he became the first casualty of the third and final day. Former India one-day cricketer Hrishikesh Kanitkar troubled the scorers very briefly, before being dismissed for 1. At this stage MRF were struggling at 128/4. Nightwatchman T Kumaran (11) fell soon after, becoming Sulzberger's second scalp of the day.

Rashmi Ranjan Parida provided the visitors with a scare, scoring a patient 106, but even his knock failed to take MRF close to the New Zealand 'A' first innings score. The 27-year old Orissa right hand batsman struck 12 boundaries and a six in his 273 minute stay at the crease. He remained not out till the end of the day but alas, ran out of partners.

Central Districts offie Glen Sulzberger mopped up the tail, claiming the last three wickets to fall and was easily the pick of the bowlers with 5/73 from his 25 overs. In all, 99 overs were faced by MRF, who were knocked out of the tournament they sponsor.

* Railways enter semifinals on first innings lead

A better performance in the second innings did not help National Cricket Academy much. And Indian Railways, by virtue of their huge first innings lead of 348 runs entered the semifinals of the MRF Buchi Babu invitation cricket tournament at the Southern Railway stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.

Resuming at 451 for nine, Indian Railways were all out for 506 following a last wicket partnership of 68 runs off 22 overs between Prahlad Rawat and SD Kannan (28). Rawat remained unbeaten with 135. He faced 249 balls and hit 20 fours.

With the result of the match a foregone conclusion, the NCA lads batted freely in the second innings and when the match ended, they were 342 for five off 76 overs. Openers Vinayak Mane (80) and Gautam Gambhir (19) put on 43 runs off 11 overs. Mane and Gaganinder Singh (27) added 58 runs for the second wicket off 16.1 overs. Mane was fourth out at 169 after facing 140 balls and hitting ten fours and a six. At this stage, NCA were in some danger of losing the match outright. But Deep Das Gupta (57 not out) and Ajay Ratra (78) with a fifth wicket partnership of 129 runs off 23.5 overs made the issue safe. Ratra faced just 92 balls and hit eleven fours while Das Gupta faced 75 balls and hit two fours and a six. In the closing stages, left hander Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan slammed an unbeaten 37 off only 19 balls with three fours and two sixes.

* CAB book berth in last four

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) booked their berth in the MRF Buchi Babu invitation tournament semi-final after putting it across the Karnataka State Cricket Asssociation XI at the Guru Nanak grounds in Chennai on Wednesday.

The Bengal team who were 339 for 8 on Tuesday, lasted another 4.3 overs in the morning before being bowled out for 355. NC Iyappa, the promising Karnataka fast bowler, claimed one of the two wickets to fall to end up with a five-wicket haul. The first-innings lead of 123 runs that they gained was what secured CAB the match at the end of the day.

KSCA decided to bat out the rest of the day making 245 for 7 in 74 overs before the two captains agreed to end play at the start of the mandatory overs. Opener Mithun Beerala made an attacking 63 off 87 balls with eight fours and one six. Sunil Joshi, the former Indian left-arm spinner, also had fun while making 65 off 72 balls with four fours and three sixes. No.7 Shyam Ponnappa was the other batsman who was among the runs, making 54 off 115 balls. For Bengal, veteran leftarm spinner Utpal Chatterjee, was the most successful bowler, claiming four for 51 in his 16 overs.

* Jolly Rovers to meet CAB

The All India Associate Banks batsmen dominated the final day's play in the MRF Buchi Babu tournament quarter-final at the IIT-Chemplast grounds on Wednesday but it was Jolly Rovers who made it to the semifinal by virtue of their first innings lead. Rovers will now take on CAB at IIT-Chemplast from August 24-26.

In the morning, the Rovers last wicket pair of L Balaji (34) and J Sathish (15) added 35 runs as their team, 269 for nine overnight, reached 304 before being all out, a first-innings lead of 57. The bankmen decided to bat out the day rather than going for an improbable win. No.4 Pankaj Dharmani made an attacking hundred, his unbeaten 111 coming off 151 balls with fifteen fours and one six. This was Dharmani's second hundred in the tournament. He had earlier made a century against the Tamil Nadu Districts XI in their first round match. Opener JP Yadav too was among the runs, his 71 off 88 balls including ten fours and one six. S Mohan was not out on 42 off 102 balls with four fours at the other end at close. AIAB at the end of the match were 281 for three in 71 overs in their second innings.