Ranji Trophy 2022: Kumar Kartikeya's 6-for dooms Punjab as MP cruise into semifinals

Spinner Kumar Kartikeya carried on with his brilliant bowling display and spun a web around Punjab batters as Mhya Presh cruised into Ranji Trophy semi-finals with a 10-wicket victory here on Thursday. Kartikeya scalped 6 for 50, his second-best bowling figures in First Class cricket, with anor spinner Saransh Jain playing perfect second fiddle, claiming 4 for 100, as Punjab folded for a paltry 203 in second innings.

Punjab resumed play on day four at 120 for 5, still 58 rift of ir opponent to make m bat again.

After a failure from top order once again, wicket-keeper batter Anmol Malhotra (34) and Siddharth Kaul (31) began day cautiously and steily, and it appeared duo would help Punjab take a respectable le.

However, Kaul's patient display with bat ended soon after, after Saransh Jain got crucial breakthrough - former was stumped by MP keeper Himanshu Mantri - after attempting to step out and haul latter over midwicket.

Jain's dismissal set off a quick fall of wickets and helped MP consolidate ir strangehold over match, with both Malhotra and Sanvir Singh (0) departing soon after, courtesy a brilliant bowling display by Kartikeya.

With nothing to lose, it was Mayank Markande (33), who batted with freedom, taking MP bowlers to cleaners with one four and three sixes.

But Markande's lone battle did not prove to be enough as Jain picked up wickets of both tailenders Vinay Chaudhary (2) and Baltej Singh (6) to finish off Punjab innings.

With only 26 to chase down, MP openers Himanshu Mantri (9 not out) and Yash Dubey (17) achieved target without much fuss in just 5.1 overs, helping ir side to comfortably book a place in last four of elite domestic event.

Brief Scores: Punjab: 219 & 203 (Anmolpreet Singh 31, Mayank Markande 33; Kumar Kartikeya 6 for 50). Mhya Presh: 397 & 26 for 0 (Shubham Sharma 102, Himanshu Mantri 89, Rajat Patidar 85, Akshat Raghuwanshi 69; Vinay Chaudhury, 5/83).

M. Presh won by 10 wickets.