With an innings and a 26-run win over Bengal, Delhi sailed into the Ranji Trophy 2017-18 final. Navdeep Amarjeet Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya claimed four wickets apiece to bowl the team to a thumping win.
After Karun Nair’s sparkling 153-run knock tipped the balance in Karnataka’s favour, Vinay Kumar and Arvind Sreenath kept Vidarbha in check until the end of third day’s play. The winner will face-off against Delhi in Indore for the coveted trophy.
Here are the highlights of Day 3, Ranji Trophy 2017-18 semi-finals:
Bengal vs Delhi in Pune: Pacers ruled on Day 3 in Pune as 17 wickets fell as Delhi trounced Bengal in the semi-final clash.
After Delhi resumed their innings 271 for three, overnight batsman Nitish Rana was the first to depart in the morning. The middle-order batsman was adjudged lbw off Mohammed Shami leaving the team on 280 for four. In the next over, Ashok Dinda sent back Rishabh Pant with just a run added to the scoreline. Himmat Singh and Manan Sharma then took Delhi past Bengal’s first innings total of 286 and looked to build on it. However, the stand was ended for 47 with Manan’s mishit off Shami finding the fielder in the backward short-leg region. 56 runs later the pacer claimed Himmat leaving Delhi on 384 for seven.
Shami then claimed the tail-enders while B Amit chipped in with the wicket of V Tokas to wrap-up the Delhi innings for 398.
With a 112-run lead, Delhi took the field in the second session and skittled out Bengal for 86 until the end of day’s play. Tokas set the tone by trapping Abhishek Kumar Raman lbw leaving the side on six for one. 27 runs later, A Eswaran departed pulling Khejroliya. From there on it was downhill for Bengal as they caved in to the Delhi pacers. Saini topped Sudip Chatterjee’s bails to leave Bengal on 35 for three. Looking to squeeze in an extra run, Writtick Chatterjee was run out four runs later. Khejroliya then forced an edge from Anustup Mujumdar through to the wicketkeeper while Manoj Tiwary’s stumps were dismantled by Saini a bit later leaving the side reeling on 60 for six. Four runs later, Saini dealt a double blow. Sani disrupted Aamir Gani and Amit’s stumps off successive deliveries to leave Bengal on 64 for eight at the end of 20 overs. Khejroliya then wrapped-up the match with the wickets of Shreevats Goswami and Dinda.
Scorecard -
http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/89
Vidarbha vs Karnataka in Kolkata: At 195 for four in the second innings, Vidarbha were leading by 79 runs with six wickets in hand at the end of third day’s play.
Having claimed the last two Karnataka wickets for the addition of seven runs to the team’s overnight total, Vidarbha toiled to put up a better performance in their second outing. Having conceded a 116-run first innings lead, the Faiz Fazal-led team have their task cut out for them. Facing an uphill task, they lost their captain off the second delivery of the innings without a run on the board. The opener was trapped lbw by his opposite number. 36 runs later, Stuart Binny got the better of SR Ramaswamy. 
