Under-16: Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh land semifinal spots

Mumbai used the third and final day of their Under 16 level Vijay Merchant Trophy quarter final against Rajasthan at the Medical College Ground, Thiruvananthapuram, for some extended batting practice. Having refrained from enforcing the follow on yesterday after taking a first innings lead of 188, they prolonged their innings until an hour and a half before close today. P Valthaty top scored with 81 while SP Bagul and captain H Ravle compiled an unbroken association of 95 with both of them making 53 apiece. Ravle's 73 ball effort was by far the most enterprising knock of the innings. The lead had swelled to 442 before Ravle made a token declaration at 254-5.

Rajasthan had time enough to make 66-3 from 26 overs before the match was terminated with their opponents progressing ahead on the basis of their first innings lead. Mumbai now await the winner of the quarter final between Delhi and Tamil Nadu, in the semis beginning January 9th.

Uttar Pradesh completed a comprehensive ten wicket victory against Baroda within two days in their quarter final at the LN College of Physical Education Ground, Thiruvananthapuram, today. Resuming at 144-5 UP totalled a respectable, and in the end match winning, score of 264. No.5 S Dixit remained unbeaten on 92 (176 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) and was involved in a productive 9th wicket association of 66 with R Jaiswal. The leading wicket takers for Baroda were S Jayendrasinh with 5-101 and AH Bochare with 4-54.

Baroda then toppled for 137 in just 44 overs losing their last 9 wickets for 91 from 46-1. KB Desai top scored with 37 from 34 balls as Jaiswal wreaked most of the damage taking 4-21 from 10 overs. Needing all of two runs to win, UP opener Ashraf Ali took just one ball to score the winning boundary and signal an end to the proceedings. UP now take on Andhra in the semis beginning January 9th.

On a day of dramatic developments, Delhi seemed to have wrested the upper hand against Tamil Nadu in their quarter final match at the VAC Ground, Thiruvananthapuram, today. In the morning, a magnificent spell by Vasudevadas sent Delhi to their doom. They nosedived from the overnight 78-5 to 84 all out, losing all five men to Vasudevadas whose final analysis read 8-5-11-5. At that point TN were very much in the driving seat with a lead of 73.

But there was another twist in the tale as they meekly folded up for 94 in 53.5 overs. Delhi's new ball bowler N Aggarwal took his second five wicket haul to finish with match figures of 10-57. The target for Delhi was 168 but they shown little sign in the first innings of being capable of chasing as much. In their second essay however, openers G Malhotra (33) and R Jaswal (21) displayed greater application to see their side safely through to stumps at 67 without loss from 27 overs. TN will take heart and Delhi will be chastened in the knowledge that the 101 still needed is greater than Delhi's first innings score.