MAH 17/0 | Live cricket score, Rajasthan vs Maharashtra, Ranji Trophy 2015-16, Group A match, Day 4 at Jaipur: Match drawn; Maharashtra gains 3 points

Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s live coverage of Day 4 of the Group A game of the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy between Rajasthan and Maharashtra, live from Jaipur. Rajasthan clawed their way back into the match from a stage when certain defeat loomed on the horizon. As things stand now before Day Four, they lead by a mere 24 with 7 wickets in hand, but at least they have avoided the innings defeat thanks to Ashok Menaria and that old warhorse Rajat Bhatia. Some splendid batting from Rahul Tripathi and Shrikant Mundhe earlier in the day saw Maharashtra secure a 91-run lead. READ: Ranji Trophy 2015-16, full coverage here

Live cricket scores Maharashtra 17/0 | Target 244 |  Overs 5.3 | Batting: SM Gugale 14(20), Harshad Khadiwale 3(13): Match is drawn. Maharshtra were batting on 17 for zero when the umpire called for end of day’s play. Since, Maharashtra took a first innings lead of 91 runs they get three points from the match while Rajasthan gets one point. It was a high scoring encounter. Ashok Menaria was top scorer of the game with 84 and 150 not out in the first and second innings respectively.

Live cricket scores Rajasthan 318 & 334/5 declared | Maharashtra 409 |  Overs 115.4 | Batting: Ashok Menaria 150(304), DH Yagnik 58(136): Ashok Menaria gets to his 150 and Rajasthan declare their innings. Their sixth wicket partnership was an unbeaten 149 runs. Maharashtra will require 244 runs to win. It looks like Maharshtra will go for it by trying to score quickly because even if they lose wickets, the probability for them to lose the match is quite less and if they get 70 odd runs in the first 10 overs it will boost their morale. However, the match will still most likely end in a draw.

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Live cricket scores Rajasthan 318 & 285/5 | Maharashtra 409 |  Overs 99.2 | Batting: Ashok Menaria 123(255), DH Yagnik 39(87): Rajasthan are about to reach 300. They are currently leading by 194 runs. Ashok Menaria and DH Yagnik’s partnership has fetched Rajasthan hundred runs till now, a welcome partnership for them which was so much required when they were tottering on a paltry 185 for the loss of five wickets. This match will mostly end in a draw.

Live cricket scores Rajasthan 318 & 247/5 | Maharashtra 409 |  Overs 85.3 | Batting: Ashok Menaria 101(205), DH Yagnik 24(54): Rajasthan are now leading by 156 runs. Ashok Menaria has completed his hundred with the help of 11 fours and one six. Rajasthan need around 80-90 more runs to be on the safer side and then they may think about declaring. NB Singh is next in batting order. On the other hand, Maharashtra have to break this partnership quickly which is already worth 64 runs now and is an impediment towards their victory.

Live cricket scores Rajasthan 318 & 206/5 | Maharashtra 409 |  Overs 72| Batting: Ashok Menaria 75(169), DH Yagnik 9(9): PR Yadav gets out leg-before-wicket for four runs. Ashok Menaria is batting on 75 along with DH Yagnik. Rajasthan are leading by 115 runs. NB Singh and AV Choudhary are next in batting order. Rajasthan need a good partnership of around 100 runs to make the match more balanced, at present it is slightly tilted in Maharashtra’s favour. OUT! PR Yadav lbw CG Khurana 4(12)

Live cricket scores Rajasthan 318 & 179/4 | Maharashtra 409 |  Overs 66| Batting: Ashok Menaria 61(155), PR Yadav 0(0): Rajasthan lose their fourth wicket Rajat Bhatia. He made 64 before getting caught by AR Bawane on AA Sanklecha’s delivery. PR Yadav has come to the middle after Bhatia’s departure. Bhatia and Ashok Maneria’s partnership was worth 127 runs. Rajasthan now lead by 88 runs. PR Yadav and Ashok Menaria should bat sensibly because they are the last recognised batting pair. OUT! Rajat Bhatia c AR Bawane b AA Sanklecha 64(137)

Live cricket scores Rajasthan 318 & 150/3 | Maharashtra 409 |  Overs 54| Batting: Ashok Menaria 52(123), Rajat Bhatia 49(96): Rajasthan have added 35 runs today without loss of any wicket. They now lead by 59 runs. Ashok Menaria has reached his half century. He struck eight boundaries en route his fifty. Rajat Bhatia, who is batting at the other end is just one short of his fifty. Their partnership is now worth 102 runs. NB Singh will probably come next if a wicket falls.

Maharashtra resumed at 244 for 5, requiring 66 to go past Rajasthan’s 309. They lost Chirag Khurana (77 in 117 balls, 8 fours) after 16 runs, but Tripathi and Mundhe pushed Maharashtra ahead. Mundhe (37 in 77 balls, 6 fours) helped Tripathi add 74. Tripathi (119 in 250 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) marshalled on, adding 39 and 29 for the next two wickets before being ninth out. Ajay Singh, who had taken a five-for on First-Class debut earlier in the tournament, finished with 4 for 87 as Maharashtra put up 409.

Maharashtra’s chances of an outright victory rose when Samad Fallah removed Suryaprakash Suwalka first ball. Mundhe took out two quick wickets, but Menaria and Bhatia batted out 21 overs before stumps, adding 64 and taking Rajasthan past the 91-mark.

Squads:

Rajasthan: Ashok Menaria (c), Dishant Yagnik (wk), Suryaprakash Suwalka, Vineet Saxena, Vaibhav Deshpande, Rajat Bhatia, Puneet Yadav, Aniket Choudhary, Deepak Chahar, Nathu Singh, Ankush Singh.

Maharashtra: Rohit Motwani (c & wk), Kedar Jadhav, Shrikant Mundhe, Harshad Khadiwale, Ankit Bawne, Anupam Sanklecha, Chirag Khurana, Dominic Muthuswami, Rahul Tripathi, Samad Fallah, Nikit Dhumal.