UP trounce Saurashtra by 48 runs to move into Ranji finals

Vadodara, Jan 7 (UNI) Riding on the devastating bowling by speedsters Praveen Kumar (4/39) and Sudeep Tyagi (4/42) Uttar Pradesh stormed into the finals of the 74th Ranji Trophy championship defeating Saurashtra by 48 runs with more than a day o spare in the five-day semi-final match played at the Motibaug Palace Cricket Ground here today.

It took just an hour for Uttar Pradesh to complete the formalities snapping up the remaining three wickets as Saurashtra, set to score 162 for a win were bundled out for 113. Overnight 93 for seven, Saurashtra continued to find it difficult to facen Kumar and Tyagi.While Kumar bowling with immaculate line and length had the first two wickets of Kamlesh Makwani (13) Sandeep Jobanputra (0) in his six maiden overs, Tyagi bowled overnight batsman Sitanshu Kotak (52, 130b,1x4) with a fine yorker in the 13th over of the day to register UP's fifth entry into the finals of this premier domestic championship.

Though UP had made it to the Ranji finals in 1939-40, 1977-78, 1997-98 and 2005-06, it won the coveted trophy for the first time in 2005-06 under the captainship of Mohd Kaif, who has the honour of leading the side to the finals this year too.

Uttar Pradesh will now take on the winners of the Delhi- Vadodara match in the finals to be played at Mumbai from January 16.

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