Ranji Trophy: Mayank Agarwal Hits Another Ton As Karnataka Get Three Points Against Uttar Pradesh

Mayank Agarwal hit his third hundred of the season as Karnataka plundered a hapless Uttar Pradesh bowling on the final day of their Group A Ranji encounter to remain on top of the table with 26 points. Karnataka along with Delhi (24 points) have now assured their entry into the quarter-finals with a match left. None of the other five teams --- Hyderabad (15), Railways (14), Maharashtra (10), UP (5) and Assam (2) have any mathematical possibility of qualification even if they get bonus points in their last game. Having scored 655 runs in the first essay, Karnataka bowled out UP for 331 taking a huge lead of 324 runs. However Karnataka skipper Vinay Kumar decided to give his bowlers a break as it would have been difficult to get 10 wickets in two sessions.

It was Agarwal (133 no) and fellow opener Ravikumar Samarth (126 no), who got easy runs against a demoralized UP attack adding 262 runs for the unbroken opening stand.

Agarwal played 171 balls hitting 12 boundaries and two sixes while Samarth played 11 boundaries and two sixes. Agarwal now has 757 runs from five games at an astonishing average of 126.16 and is cirrently leading the run-scorers' charts.

In the first innings, Agarwal had scored 90. His career-best 304 came against Maharashtra while he hit 176 against Delhi in the previous game.

Brief Scores In Kanpur: Karnataka 655 and 262/0 (Mayank Agarwal 133 no, Ravikumar Samarth 126). UP 331 (Umang Sharma 89, Rinku Singh 73, Shreyas Gopal 3/63). Match Drawn Points: Karnataka 3; UP 1.

In Guwahati: Hyderabad 326 and (target 142) 144/6 (Ambati Rayudu 52). Assam 136 and 331 (Amit Sinha 122, M ravi Kiran 3/75). Hyderabad won by 4 wickets. Points: Hyderabad 6; Assam 0.

TN gets 3 points from draw vs MP

Tamil Nadu's hopes of advancing to the Ranji Trophy knockouts suffered a blow after the Group C game against Madhya Pradesh ended in a tame draw on the final day. Needing an outright win in the two remaining games to keep its hopes of advancing alive, Tamil Nadu could only manage a first innings lead, which pegged it back in the race. Having conceded a 62-run lead to the visitors, MP batted till tea to ensure a rather dull day, making 351 for 4 declared in 102.5 overs.

Tamil Nadu was at 79 for 1 in pursuit of an improbable 290 in a session for victory when the game ended. The visiting team got three points to take its tally to 11 from five matches with one game against Baroda to go.

Resuming at the overnight score of 142 for 1, the partnership between Rajit Patidar and Shubham Sharma didn't extend for too long with the former falling to K Vignesh for 89 after adding 114 runs.

The talented young Sharma was the next to go, caught by M S Washington Sundar off V Yomahesh for 56 with the score on 172.

Vignesh removed MP skipper Devendra Bundela (17) at 208 to give Tamil Nadu some hope, but Harpreet Singh Bhatia (100 not out) and Ankit Dane (65 not out) thwarted whatever little hopes the rivals had with a 143-run partnership.

Andhra currently leads Group "C" with 19 points from six matches RPT six matches, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 15 and Mumbai on 14. Tamil Nadu lies fourth with 11.

Brief scores: Madhya Pradesh 264 all out in 90.1 overs (Ankit Sharma 77, Ankit Dane 63, Ishwar Pandey 29, K Vignesh 4 for 32, M Mohammed 3 for 67) and 351 for 4 declared in 102.5 overs (Harpreet Singh Bhatia 100 not out, Rajat Patidar 89, Ankit Dane 65 not out, Shubham Sharma 56, K Vignesh 3 for 42) drew with Tamil Nadu 326 all out in 105.4 overs (N Jagadeesan 101, V Yomahesh 103 not out) and 79 for 1 in 25 overs (Abhinav Mukund 32 not out). Points: TN: 3; MP: 1.

At Ongole(AP): Mumbai 332 all out in 132 overs (Prithvi Shaw 114, Siddhesh Lad 86, B Ayyappa 4 for 110) and 279 for 6 declared in 57 overs (Shreyas Iyer 89) drew with Andhra Pradesh 215 all out in 77 overs (Ricky Bhui 69, G H Vihari 70, Shardul 5 for 55, Dhawal Kulkarni 3 for 44) and 219 for 5 in 81 overs (K S Bharat 68, Ricky Bhui 55). Points: Mumbai: 3; AP: 1

At Vadodara: Baroda 503 all out in 137.4 overs (Kedar Devdhar 104, N A Rathva 115 not out, Vishnu Solanki 109, Deepak Hooda 51, Basant Mohanty 5 for 85) and 259 for 1 in 43.5 overs (Aditya Waghmode 101 not out, Deepak Hooda 100 not out) drew Odisha 445 all out in 166 overs (Subranshu Senapati 173, Rajesh Dhupar 86, Biplab Samantaray 55, Swapnil K Singh 5 for 50).

Points: Baroda: 3; Odisha: 1.

Bowlers help Kerala post 309-run win over Saurashtra

Jalaj Saxena claimed four wickets while KC Akshay and Sijomon Joseph took three each to bundle out Saurashtra for 95 and steer Kerala to a massive 309-run win in their Group B match. Chasing 405, Saurashtra resumed their second innings at 30 for one and straight away started to lose wickets at regular interval to fold for less than 100 runs. Both overnight batsmen -- Snell Patel (20) and Robin Uthappa (12) -- fell cheaply, and Saurashtra could never recover from that stage.

Sheldon Jackson was the lone batsman to show some resistance with 24 runs off 74 balls but others failed to put up any fight.

Saxena ended with impressive figures of four for 29, while Akshay (3/23) and Joseph (3/27) chipped in with three wickets each to ensure Saurashtra could not make a comeback.

Brief scores: Kerala: 225 & 411 for six declared. Saurashtra: 232 & 95 all out in 51.3 overs (Sheldon Jackson 24; Jalaj Saxena 4/29, KC Akshay 3/23, Sijomon Joseph 3/27). Points: Kerala 6, Saurashtra 0.

Brief scores of other Group B matches:

At Surat: Gujarat won by an innings & 107 runs vs Rajasthan Gujarat 1st innings: 601 for four declared. Rajasthan: 153 & 341 all out in 107.3 overs (Robin Bist 81, Mahipal Lomror 60; Siddharth Desai 5/129). Points: Gujarat 7, Rajasthan 0.

At Rohtak: Haryana won by 18 runs vs J&K Haryana: 184 & 167 J&K: 176 & 157 all out in 44.1 overs (Owais Shah 52; Ajit Chahal 5/53). Points: Haryana 6, Jammu & Kashmir 0

Wakhare spins Vidarbha to big win

Off-spinner Akshay Wakhare ended with a match-haul of nine wickets as Vidarbha romped to an innings and 37-run win after dismissing Goa for 151 on the fourth and final day of the Group D match. The Goan batting faltered for the second time in the match, folding up for just 151 after making 239 in their first essay.

Vidarbha amassed 427 for three in the only time they batted in the game with hundreds from veteran Wasim Jaffer and Ganesh Satish.

The lead Group D with four wins and a draw from five matches while Goa are at the bottom of the standings.

Man of the match was Wakhare, who picked up a five-wicket haul in the second innings after taking four in the first. It was for the third time in the season that the off-spinner picked up a fifer.

After resuming the day at 19 for two, only Snehal Kauthankar put up some resistance against the Vidarbha attack, scoring a gritty 56 in a losing cause.

Brief scores: Goa 239 and 151 (Kauthankar 56; Wakhare 5/54) in 53.3 overs. Vidarbha 427/3 decl.

Result: Vidarbha won by an innings and 37 runs.