NCA poised to win title

The National Cricket Academy (NCA) all but wrapped up the final as they took a massive 379-run first innings lead after Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) collapsed to 277 for nine despite a fighting century by Sachin Rana (118, 153b, 12x4, 3x6) at stumps on the third and penultimate day in the KSCA's All-India invitational cricket tournament here Thursday.

Replying to NCA's total of 656, Haryana were never in the hunt after losing both their openers by the 13th over.

It was left to Rana and the tail-enders to offer some resistance, but could not stop NCA from grabbing a match-winning first innings lead with Haryana's No.11 Kuldeep Hooda not batting due to an injury.

Rana and Joginder Sharma (28) put on 67 runs for the sixth wicket after Haryana were reduced to 88 for five. Along with Jayant Yadav (35), Rana added another 67 for the seventh before being dismissed.

A 51-run stand for the eighth between Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal (34) helped prolong the Haryana innings, but did not avert the inevitable.

For NCA, new ball bowler Deepak Chahar came away with three wickets for 55 while Veer Pratap Singh and Kuldeep Yadav picked up two apiece.

In their second innings, NCA were 20 for three that still put them 399 ahead with just one more day's play remaining.

Brief scores:

National Cricket Academy 656 and 20 for 3 (Sonu Rathee 2-1) vs Haryana CA 277 for 9 in 80.5 overs (Sachin Rana 118, Jayant Yadav 35, Yuzvendra Chahal 34, Deepak Chahar 3-55, Veer Pratap Singh 2-23, Kuldeep Yadav 2-89).