Ranji Trophy 2015, Group B: Vishal Dabholkar keeps Mumbai in hunt

Vishal Dabholkar did the maximum damage with a haul of 5 for 41 in his 13 overs to keep Mumbai in with a chance. (Source: Express photo by Kevin D’Souza)

Mumbai conceded a first-innings lead as they were bowled out for 294 despite a feisty 150-run knock by Siddhesh Lad but remained in the hunt on the third and penultimate day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match against Tamil Nadu.

In reply, the visitors were tottering at 73/7 in the second innings but had an overall lead of 213 runs at the Bandra Kurla Complex.

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When the stumps were drawn, Malolan Rangarajan (15) and Aswin Crist (1) were the two unbeaten batsmen for the visiting team.

Resuming at overnight 45/2, Mumbai were rescued by Lad after a batting collapse with M Mohammed being the wrecker-in-chief with a haul of 5/86.

Lad’s knock was laced with 16 fours and seven hits over the ropes and came off 184 balls. However, none of the other Mumbai batsmen could support him in the middle as wickets kept falling at regular intervals.

In reply, Tamil Nadu batsmen put up a shambolic display with pacer Vishal Dabholkar doing the maximum damage with a haul of 5 for 41 in his 13 overs to keep Mumbai in with a chance of not just saving but also go for a victory.

Brief Scores: Mumbai 1st Innings: 294 all out (Siddhesh Lad 150, M Mohammed 5/86) Tamil Nadu: 434 and 73/7 in 27 overs (M Rangarajan 15 batting, V Dabholkar 5/41)

Vohra, Yuvraj lead Punjab’s fightback 

Manan Vohra hit his second first class hundred and skipper Yuvraj Singh was closing on his 24th as Punjab made a solid reply to Gujarat’s first innings by ending the day at 434 for five.

It was tremendous batting effort by the hosts as courtesy a collective batting show, Punjab are now set to walk away with first innings lead. They are trailing Gujarat by just 33 runs.

Brief Scores: Gujarat 1st innings 467 all out in 139.1 overs Punjab 1st innings 434 for 5 in 127 overs. (M Vohra 104, Yuvraj 85 batting; R Bhatt 3/118)

Railways in drivers’s seat against UP

Uttar Pradesh batting crumbled like a pack of cards as the hosts lost their last eight wickets for 95 runs to give Railways the vital first innings lead at stumps on the third day of their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match.

Resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 160 for two in reply to Railways 37 all out, Uttar Pradesh’s middle-order cut a sorry figure in front of Railways’ incisive bowling to be bowled out in 103.5 overs.

Brief Scores: Railways 375 & 154 for three in 44 overs (Faiz Ahmed 62 not out, Ashish Singh 60; Kuldeep Yadav 1/12). Uttar Pradesh 264 all out in 103.5 overs (Tanmay Srivastava 93, Almas Shaukat 76; Ranjit Mali 5/88)

Andhra ahead against Baroda

Andhra were comfortably placed at 328 for three against Baroda in their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match.

Andhra, thus, already have a lead of 26 runs with seven wickets to spare in reply to Baroda’s first-innings total of 302 all out.