Vadodara: Jammu and Kashmir's dream run in the Ranji Trophy came to an end after Punjab defeated them by a 100 runs to enter the semifinals of the premier domestic event on the fourth day of their last-eight stage match here today.
Seamer VRV Singh returned with a five-wicket haul as Punjab dismissed Jammu and Kashmir, chasing a target of 324, for 233 in their second innings.
We will be stronger next season: Rasool
Singh ran through the lower middle-order, dismissing skipper Parveez Rasool (10), Manzoor Dar (10), Obaid Haroon (0) and Samiullah Beigh (2) in quick time to derail J&K's chase at the Moti Bagh Stadium here.
Punjab will now face Karnataka in the semifinal to be held in Mohali from January 18.
First down batsman Hardeep Singh, who was retired hurt at the score of 43 and came back to bat again when the score read 146/7, was unbeaten with a 135-ball 76, which was studded with nine hits to the fence.
Chasing 324, J&K resumed their second innings at 77-2 today but their hopes of a successfully chasing the target for a maiden semi-final appearance in the Ranji Trophy came crashing soon.
In the second over of the day, Ian Dev Singh (18) was sent back to the hut by pacer Manpreet Gony as J&K slipped to 80 for three.
Overnight batsman Hardeep was then retired hurt with the total reading 113 for three, bringing two new batsmen Rasool and Ram Dayal at the crease.
Sandeep Sharma made good use of the opportunity by cleaning up Dayal (14) in the 40th over and two overs later, VRV Singh triggered a collapse with a twin-strike in the 43rd over leaving J&K reeling at 135 for 6.Singh returned again in his next over to get rid off Dar. Hardeep then came back to the crease but VRV Singh continued his dismantling job by dismissing Beigh when he had him caught by Inder Singh in the 47th over to reduce J&K to 149 for eight.
M G Gujree and Hardeep then added another 53 runs before the former was sent back in the 59th over as J&K slumped to 202 for nine.
Umar Nazir Mir was the last to be dismissed in the 63.2 over as Punjab cemented their place in semifinals.
Their ouster in the quarterfinal stage notwithstanding, J&K created quite a stir this Ranji season by making the quarterfinals.
One of the stars for the team has been off-spinning all-rounder Rasool, the first cricketer from the state to be picked in an Indian team to play against an international side. Rasool proved himself in this match as well by getting a hundred.
"J&K inexperience shows up finally-but they R getting used 2 winning idea!Hopefully w/ improved infra-structure Valley lads cn do better!!" tweeted former J&K coach and ex-India skipper Bishan Singh Bedi after the team's quarterfinal loss.
Shreyas bags five as K'taka set up semifinal date with Punjab
Shreyas bags five as K'taka set up semifinal date with Punjab
Bangalore: Riding on right arm leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal's five-wicket haul, Karnataka beat Uttar Pradesh by 92 runs to enter into the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy at Chinnaswamy Stadium here today.
Chasing a target of 333, UP were bundled out for 240 in 65.3 overs.
Batting first, Karnataka had scored 349 all out in the first innings with centuries from Robin Uthappa, Karun Nair and Chidambaram Gautam. In reply, UP declared their first innings at 221 for nine and their bowlers came back strongly to skittle Karnataka all out for 204 in their second innings.
With the match evenly poised at the resumption of the fourth day today, Karnataka bowlers wrested the initiative from the visitors as they used the early morning conditions to their advantage, picking up five wickets to put UP almost out of contention.
But Eklavya Dwivedi (33) and Piyush Chawla (44) put on a solid 70-run partnership for the seventh wicket to give Karnataka some anxious moments by keeping UP just 125 runs in sight of a victory.
The 20-year-old Gopal, however, had the last laugh as he sent home the first innings half-centurion Chawla, caught by Karun Nair, shattering UP's hopes.
Gopal scalped five wickets for 59 in the second innings, unlike in the first innings, where he went wicket-less after conceding 30 runs. Earlier, resuming at an overnight total of 55 for one, UP lost an early wicket in the form of Tanmay Srivastava, who added 21 runs to his overnight score of 23 before giving away his wicket to R Vinay Kumar.
Much was expected of Srivastava as he had 300-odd runs behind him this season with two centuries to his credit.
Mohammad Kaif, who had only 217 runs from eight innings with not even a half century, was the next batsman out for a naught after he gave a catch to Vinay off Abhimanyu Mithun's bowling, leaving the visitors reeling at 86 for three.
Gopal then came into the act and scalped the next two wickets of Ali Murtaza (29) and Prashant Gupta (19). Mithun followed it up with the prized wicket of Parvinder Singh (8), who had scored a brilliant 92 in the first innings.
In the post-lunch session, Gopal and Vinay polished off UP's tail by claiming the last four wickets in quick succession.
Vinay finished with two wickets in the second innings for his match haul of five for 121.
Mithun was adjudged man of the match for his seven for 141. In the first innings he had claimed four for 70.
Karnataka will now take on Punjab in the semifinals to be played in Mohali from January 18-22.
Railways holds slight edge as they reach 117/3 chasing 271
Railways holds slight edge as they reach 117/3 chasing 271
Kolkata: Railways captain Murali Kartik took the attack back to the opposition camp with a timely half-century as the visitors need another 154 runs with seven wickets in hand as their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against hosts Bengal hangs in balance at the end of the fourth day.
Chasing a target of 271, Railways were 117 for three at stumps with in-form Arindam Ghosh batting on 14 in company of Nitin Bhille (1 batting).
With Bengal's nemesis Mahesh Rawat yet to come out, skipper Kartik would expect that his knock of 56 will certainly give Railways the edge over Laxmi Ratan Shukla's boys.
Earlier, Bengal scored 267 in their second innings courtesy Wriddhiman Saha's 81 and Ashoke Dinda's cameo of 27 not out off 24 balls.
Railways were chugging in the right track with 100 for no loss in the 33rd over with Kartik promoting himself to opening slot for the second time this season after their win against Services.
For the Railways, pacer Anureet Singh bagged 5/72 his fifth five-wicket haul this season.
After a controversy-filled last evening when he and pacer Anureet were heckled by spectators, veteran India discard showed a lot of character hitting three sixes en route to a 89-ball half-century as they looked in firm control.
But all hell broke loose at the fag end of the day when Bengal skipper Shukla triggered a collapse in his third over, the 33rd over of the day as Railways lost three wickets for three runs in a space of 17 balls to end the day on backfoot.
Bengal stepped up the tempo after the three wickets as Dinda attacked with a barrage of bouncers while verbal abuses too flew thick and fast in the middle as Railways ended the day for 117/3 after 43 overs, still needing 154 to win with seven wickets in hand.Kartik shouldered arm to a good length delivery from Shukla only to be adjudged leg before wicket as a sleepy Eden with about 2,000 spectators erupted in joy.
The veteran India left arm spinner hit four boundaries and three sixes in his 102-ball knock. There was more drama when Sourav Sarkar effected a fine run out of Amit Paunikar with a direct hit from deep fine leg.
Going for a second run, Paunikar was short of the crease at the non-striker's end to see his innings fold for 41 as the Eden crowd who seemed to have gone for an afternoon slumber started roaring.
Just three balls after the direct hit, a charged up Dinda bowled Shivakant Shukla who played on to his stumps and was out for a golden duck to leave Railway reeling for 103/3.
Local lad Ghosh was 'escorted' by Dinda and Sarkar, who were apparently sledging, as he came up to the crease in what was another thrilling day.
But it was a different picture an hour ago when Railways took the upperhand with Kartik batting with grit as they seemed to be in firm control of the match.
The duo of Kartik and Paunikar put up the 50-run opening stand when the Railways skipper hooked Paul for a six in their best opening stand for the match. Kartik brought up his 21st first class halfcentury with an imperious drive through cover.
Paunikar too was in the act flicking the ball down the leg side to bring the 100 up for Railways. But Bengal's frustration finally came to an end when Shukla ended Kartik's fine innings.
Earlier, resuming at 133 for four after a controversy-filled day, Bengal duo of Shukla and Saha showed positive intent with the Bengal skipper striking two successive fours on either side of the wicket.
But before they looked to threaten the Railways camp, the lanky Krishnakant Upadhyay struck dismissing the Bengal skipper whose attempted pull went straight to midwicket. Shukla made 76 off 89 balls with 11 fours and a six.In the meantime, Saha quietly scored his second half-century of the match, in a patient innings from 137 balls with seven fours.
With Saha looking firm, Railways brought on spin with Karn Sharma in the 68th over, a move that yielded result with the leggie dismissing Writtick Chatterjee (10) and Saha (81) in his fourth and seventh overs.
Chatterjee was trapped in front of the wicket, while Saha's attempted pull took a bottom edge on to the stumps.
Saha out for 81 off 200 balls with 11 fours. Bengal's second essay looked set to fold after Kartik trapped Lahiri (9) with their score 218/8 but Dinda's stunt with the bat in a 37-run ninth wicket partnership with Sarkar frustrated Railways.
Dinda lit up an otherwise dull morning tonking Kartik over his head for a six before dancing down to Sharma for another over boundary to stretch the lead past 250.
Railways regrouped at the lunch break with Singh knocking off Sarkar's off-stump after kissing his pads in the second ball of the second session.
But the mercurial Bengal pacer was not in a mood to budge as, two balls later, Dinda pulled Singh for his third six.
Dinda was left stranded at the other end after Singh wrapped the issue dismissing Paul to bag his fifth fifer of the season, ninth overall.
Singh was full of grace as he bowed down to kiss the pitch after Bengal's innings folded not before posting a challenging 271 target.
