SPO-RANJI-GROUP A

Hosts Saurashtra snatched three

crucial points Thursday on the basis of their first innings

lead in their Elite Group A game against current champions

Vidarbha to make it to the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy.

Saurashtra batsmen played out the fourth and the final

day and were 218 for 2 when the game was declared drawn.

For the hosts, it was batting practice for

Vishvarajsinh Jadeja (105 not out) and Sheldon Jackson (53 not

out) as they frustrated the Vidarbha bowlers.

Vidarbha declared on their overnight score of 280 for

9.

Vidarbha, who earned a lone point in the match, ended

the league stage as table-toppers in combined A and B Group

Standings, to make it to the quarter-finals, as they ended

with 29 points.

Saurashtra also ended with the same number of points,

but were placed second due to lower quotient than Vidarbha.

The other three teams from Group A and B combined to

make the last eight were Karntaka (27 points), Kerala and

Gujarat (each 26 points).

Baroda also had 26 points, but could not make through

as they had lower quotient than Gujarat.

Brief scores: At Rajkot: Saurashtra 356 and 218/2

(Vishvarajsinh Jadeja 105 not out, Sheldon Jackson 53 not out,

S S Bigewar 1-24) drew against Vidarbha 280 for 9 declared.

Saurashtra took first-innings lead.

Saurashtra 3 points.

Vidarbha 1 point.

Final Standings: Elite Group A and B:

1. Vidarbha (29 points).

2. Saurashtra (29 points) 3.

Karnataka (27 points) 4.

Kerala (26 points) 5.

Gujarat (26 points) 6.

Baroda (26 points) 7.

Madhya Pradesh (24 points) 8.

Bengal (23 points) 9.

Punjab (23 points) 10.

Himachal Pradesh (22 points) 11.

Mumbai (17 points) 12.

Andhra Pradesh (17 points) 13.

Hyderabad (17 points) 14.

Tamil Nadu (15 points) 15.

Railways (14 points) 16.

Delhi (14 points) 17.

Maharashtra (8 points) 18.

Chhattisgarh (6 points).

PTI NRB SSR

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