Saurashtra join Vidarbha in semis after record chase in Ranji Trophy history

The semi-final fixture of the Ranji Trophy 2018/19 season was completed on Saturday after Vidarbha and Saurashtra pulled off victories over Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Saurashtra registered the highest run-chase in Ranji Trophy history, breaking the previous record of 371 set by Assam against Services in the 2008-9 season. The 19-year-old Harvik Desai contributed with a richly-deserved maiden first-class hundred in the historic win.

Desai scored 116 while Snell Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson contributed with half-centuries, winning the match by six wickets.

On the same day, the defending champions Vidarbha secured a place in the semis of Ranji Trophy 2018-19 with an innings and 115-run victory over debutants Uttarakhand in Nagpur.

Vidarbha needed only eight overs to wrap up the victory by taking remaining five wickets after Uttarakhand resumed their innings on 152 for 5 on the fifth morning. Unbeaten in the tournament so far, Uttarakhand lost their last five wickets for just seven runs after Umesh Yadav and Aditya Sarwate both registered fifers.

Uttarakhand had posted 355 in the first innings, to which Vidarbha responded with 629, with Wasim Jaffer's 206 the highest score.

The defending champions Vidarbha will take on Kerala in the first semi-final, while Karnataka will take on Saurashtra in the second semi-final on January 24.