Services 221(Paliwal 120, Sarabjit 40, Dayal 5-71) and 71 for 4 (Yashpal 40) trail Jammu and Kashmir 85 (Yadav 4-35) and 269 (Dayal 62, M Gupta 58, Ian Dev 52, Nishan 5-73, Yadav 4-79) by 63 runs
Scorecard
Services have inched close to secure a comfortable victory against Jammu and Kashmir in what has been an intriguing battle in Delhi. J&K managed to put up a fight in their second innings, adding another 133 runs to their overnight 136 for 6, and sniffed an opening when their bowlers reduced Services to 7 for 3. But Yashpal Singh and Soumya Swain arrested the slide, and put their side firmly on course for victory, when they ended the day on 71 for 4, needing another 63 runs.
J&K, after being virtually out of the contest on the second day, began the third day positively as their unbeaten batsmen Manik Gupta and Ram Dayal stuck for the first 22.5 overs of the day. Both batsmen got to half-centuries but couldn’t carry on. A target of 134 didn’t seem likely to test their opponents, but Services’ top three departed quickly, before the recovery. J&K’s first-innings capitulation – they were bowled out for 85 – seems to have proved the difference.
Goa 347 for 8 (Pinto 85*, S Asnodkar 81, Desai 59, Rahul 4-71) lead Himachal Pradesh 338 A Kumar 86, M Sharma 73, Gawas 4-109) by nine runs
Scorecard
In a tight battle for first-innings lead, Goa emerged ahead of Himachal Pradesh by ending the third day on 347 for 8, nine runs ahead of Himachal Pradesh’s 338. Middle-order batsman Reagan Pinto and opener Swapnil Asnodkar played two crucial knocks — of 85 not out and 80 respectively — to help Goa inch past their opponents’ total. But the lead looked unlikely when they lost five wickets for 33 runs to be 193 for 6 at a stage in the innings.
Asodkar and No. 3 Aamod Desai resumed at a strong 118 for 1 in the morning, and had progressed to 160 for 2 when Asnodkar got out. This led to a slide, but vital stands between Pinto and Shadab Jakati, and later Pinto and Saurabh Bandekar helped them recover.
Tripura 127 (Manukrishnan 6-37) and 70 for 3 (Warrior 2-16) trail Kerala 400 (Prem 170, Chanda 4-77) by 203 runs
Scorecard
Tripura face a tough final day, but are in with a chance of saving the game against the dominating Kerala. They face a deficit of 203 runs to make Kerala bat again, after a poor day at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium. Pacer Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan registered his best figures in his short first-class career when he added two more wickets to his overnight tally of four wickets, and with another newcomer Sandeep Warrior, who took three wickets, helped bowl Tripura out for 127.
After being enforced the follow-on, Tripura were again in trouble at 7 for 2, but a 63-run stand briefly halted the one-way traffic, before another wicket fell. Sreesanth, coming back from surgery to his toe, took his first first-class wicket since November, 2011.
Jharkhand 257 (Tiwary 119, Nadeem 51, Sahabuddin 4-39, Vijaykumar 4-55) and 20 for 0 trail Andhra 410 (Muzumdar 180, Shivkumar 57, Pradeep 56, Rao 4-98) by 133 runs
Scorecard
Andhra’s middle-order batsman Amol Muzumdar scored his third century in this Ranji season to firmly put his team in command after the third day of the game against Jharkhand in Dhanbad. Resuming at 132 for 4 , Muzumdar struck useful stands with AG Pradeep (who had stuck with him since the previous day), Duvvarapu Shivkumar and Rajesh Pawar. This helped Andhra put up 410 before being bowled out, giving them a handy 153-run lead. Jharkhan were 20 without loss at stumps.
Muzumdar struck 20 fours and two sixes in his 275-balls innings of 180. He is now among Ranji’s top ten run-getters this season.
