Delhi fail to register outright win
New Delhi: Delhi's left-arm spin duo Vikas Mishra and Varun Sood put up a disappointing show on a helpful last day track as Himachal Pradesh managed to eke out a point in a group B. Needing nine wickets on the final day and Himachal left with an improbable chase of 376, Mishra (2/57 in 33 overs) and Sood (1/51 in 21 overs) failed to break through the opposition middle-order. HP finished their second innings at 266 for 5, primarily due to Nikhil Gangta (66 no, 184 balls) and Rishi Dhawan (52 no, 110 balls). Sumeet Verma (43, 91 balls) also played his part to perfection as Delhi bowlers sans Ishant Sharma (2/42 in 16 overs) looked below-par. Delhi bowled close to 30 overs (29.4 overs) after Himachal lost their fifth wicket at 184 but the two spinners let it drift during the unbroken 82-run stand for the sixth wicket between Gangta and Dhawan.
TN, Hyderabad game end in draw
Tirunelveli: Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad had to settle for one point each as the first innings remained unfinished resulting in the Elite Group 'B' match ending in a tame draw. In reply to Hyderabad's 565 for 8 declared, the home team was 409 for 4 in 154 overs riding on tons by Abhinav Mukund (178) and N Jagadeesan (131 not out, 16X4, 3X6) at close of play on the fourth and final day. Resuming at 163 for 2, Tamil Nadu lost skipper Baba Indrajith (33) for the addition of 15 runs. Wicketkeer-batsman Jagadeesan, then added 171 runs with Mukund to dash any hopes Hyderabad would have entertained of obtaining a lead. After the exit of the left-handed opener, Jagadeesan and B Anirudh Sitaram kept the rival bowlers at bay, adding 60 runs.
MP salvage draw against Bengal
Kolkata: Left-handed opener Aryaman Birla slammed his maiden first-class century to help Madhya Pradesh salvage a draw following on, as Bengal had to settle for three points in their first home match of the season. Scion of the Birla family, Aryaman remained unbeaten on 103 in his third first-class match, while Shubham Sharma gave him fine support with 100 not out on the fourth day to hand Madhya Pradesh one point in their Elite Group B fixture. Bengal, who enjoyed a first innings lead in their last match in Himachal Pradesh, have now six points from two games. Having taken a first innings lead over Tamil Nadu in their last match, Madhya Pradesh now have four points.
Puducherry get three points
Puducherry: Debutants Puducherry opened their account with three points by virtue of a first innings lead over Meghalaya in a rain-hit Plate Group fixture. Resuming the day on 95/4 in their second innings, Puducherry were 129/7 when rain stopped play in 47.1 overs at the Siechem ground here. With cyclone Gaja looming large, there was no respite from a downpour as only 17.1 overs could be possible and home team got three points, thanks to their first innings lead. Puducherry had made 389 in their first innings before bowling out Meghalaya for 326. Rain remained the common feature in the second match of the group in Jorhat where the final day's play was abandoned without a ball being bowled as Arunachal Pradesh were lucky to bag three points, thanks to their first innings lead over Mizoram.
Jackson, Jadeja star in Saurashtra's win
Rajkot: Sheldon Jackson hit a strokeful half century while Ravindra Jadeja made a crucial unbeaten 48 to guide hosts Saurashtra to a three-wicket win over Railways in a Group A match. Saurashtra lost seven wickets while chasing 184 for an outright win, but Ravindra Jadeja (48 not out) held his nervous along with Kamlesh Makwana (14 not out) to take their side to victory. Jackson's 55-ball 54, which had eight fours and two sixes proved to be the difference among the two sides. Saurashtra were four wickets down for 65 at one stage, but then Jackson and Jadeja pulled the team out of trouble. Jadeja, who reamined unbeaten on 178 in the first innings, carried on his form and responded to his team's call. Earlier, Saurashtra bowlers did a descent job to bundle out Railways for 331 in their second innings and ensure that the target remained below 200.
Rajasthan, UP, Assam notch up wins
Jaipur: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam registered wins in their respective Elite Group C matches played across different venues in the country. While Uttar Pradesh thrashed hosts Odisha by 10 wickets in Bhubaneswar, Assam defeated Tripura by a massive 211 runs in Agartala. On the other hand, Rajasthan hammered Services by five wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, chasing a stiff 357-run target. Rajasthan rode on a magnificent 159 by their opener Amitkumar Gautam, who struck 13 fours and six other hits over the fence. Opener Gautam, who had fallen cheaply in the first innings, and his partner Chetan Bist (78) laid the foundation of the win with their 170-run stand for the first wicket. 23-year-old Gautam, a right-handed batsman, scored runs when his team needed the most. He hammered a listless Services attack as their bowlers leaked runs. When Gautam fell, the job was nearly done as Rajasthan needed just another 25 runs. Then R K Bishnoi (26) and T N Dhillon (10) took their side home with five wickets to spare as Rajasthan earned six points.