Services stun UP, enter Ranji semi-finals

A spirited Services beat favourites Uttar Pradesh by five wickets to enter the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy, in Indore, on Tuesday.

Chasing a meagre target of 113 to win, Services were rocked by UP pacer Ankit Rajpoot's fiery spell (5-36) and reduced to 54 for 5 in the second innings, before skipper Soumik Chatterjee and Rajat Paliwal came to the armymen's rescue and pocketed the five-day match well inside three days.

Services chased down the remaining runs without further hiccups, courtesy first-innings centurion Rajat Paliwal's unbeaten 32 and an injured Chatterjee's unconquered 34.

But it was not before young UP pacer Rajpoot, who bagged a five-for in the first innings, created flutter as Services slumped from 29 for no loss to 54 for five.

The 19-year-old, however, could not prevent Paliwal and Chatterjee, unable to walk with a badly injured left knee, from steering Services home.

The injured skipper finished the run-chase in style, hitting a huge six over mid-on off spinner Ali Murtaza.

The duo shared an unbeaten partnership of 62 runs for the sixth wicket to ensure a memorable victory for Services.

Earlier, resuming the day on 138 for 4, UP were bowled out for 241 in 78 overs.

Overnight batsmen Arish Alam and Eklavya Dwivedi added 40 runs before being dismissed.

Right-handed Alam (50), however, completed a half-century before being run-out.

UP pacer Imtiaz Ahmed played an aggressive knock of 40, off just 37 deliveries, during which he hit two boundaries and four sixes.

However, wickets continued to tumble at the other end, and UP's innings folded for 241 runs, giving their bowlers a paltry 112 runs to defend.

For Services, right-arm pacer Suraj Yadav accounted for seven UP batsmen and ended the match with career-best figures of 9-106.

Brief scores:

Uttar Pradesh 134 & 241 (Tanmay Srivastava 55, Arish Alam 50; Suraj Yadav 7-71) lost to Services 263 & 116-5 (Soumik Chatterjee 34 not out, Rajat Paliwal 32 not out; Ankit Rajpoot 5-36).