Ranji Trophy Plate League, semi-finals, 3rd day

Gujarat set MP improbable target

Cricinfo staff

December 27, 2007

Madhya Pradesh 93 and 63 for 1 (Pasha 30*, Saxena 27*) need another 302 runs to beat Gujarat 192 and 265 (Parthiv Patel 84, Dholpure 5-64)
Scorecard

Parthiv Patel made 84 before being bowled by Anand Rajan © Cricinfo Ltd

Parthiv Patel, the Gujarat captain, scored 84 runs to help them post a huge target for Madhya Pradesh in the Plate League semi-final at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. After having taken a crucial 99-run lead in the first innings, Gujarat scored 265 in the second.

Resuming on 15, and team score of 98 for 2, Parthiv did most of the scoring in the third-wicket partnership which took them 183. But Sunil Dholpure struck thrice in quick succession to reduce Gujarat to 196 for 6, Parthiv being the sixth wicket to fall. Timil Patel, then, scored a stoic unbeaten 30 and in partnership with Mohnish Parmar and Amit Singh took Gujarat to 265. Dholpure finished with his third five-for in first-class cricket.

MP, after losing the first wicket for 20, consolidated and ended the day at 63 for 1, needing 302 to attain an improbable win with two days to go.

Railways 348 for 7 (Sanyal 115, Rawat 77, Rawle 66) trail Kerala 357 by 9 runs
Scorecard

A century by Sanjib Sanyal and half-centuries from Mahesh Rawat and Harshad Rawle took Railways to within nine runs of Kerala's 357 with three wickets in hand in the Plate League semi-final in Nagpur. With two days to go still, there might still be time enough to revrse a result based on first-innings lead.

Resuming at 123 for 3, Rawle and Sanyal carried on with their partnership for 17.3 overs. After Rawle got out for 66, Sanyal found a partner in Rawat as the two added 116 for the fifth wicket. After Sanyal got out for 115, Kerala managed three relatively quick wickets, but Raja Ali and Murali Kartik stuck in and added 38 unbeaten runs for the eight wicket in 16.4 overs.

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