Ranji Trophy 2013-14: Goa beat Andhra by 8 wickets

Goa collected six points as they scored an easy eight-wicket win over Andhra.

Porvorim: Jan 1, 2014

Goa collected six points as they scored an easy eight-wicket win over Andhra to finish their Group C league engagement with 28 points and kept themselves in the fray for the knock-out stage of the Ranji Trophy on Wednesday.

Resuming on their overnight score of 32 for three, Andhra’s M Sriram (34) and B Sudhakar (24) added 48 runs before both fell in quick succession to Amit Yadav leaving their side tottering at 89 for five.

D Sivakumar, who remained unbeaten on 26 put up some resistance with wickets falling at regular interval, shared a 53-run stand for the eighth-wicket along with K Harish (31) before Harshad Gadekar dismissed the latter and P Vijay Kumar (0) to claim four wickets as Andhra were bowled out for 160 in their second innings at the Academy ground in Porvorim.

Shadab Jakati and Amit Yadav were the other successful bowlers for Goa, who claimed three wickets each.

Requiring a target of 42 to win, Goa went past the finishing line by losing wickets of openers Swapnil Asnodkar (8) and A S Desai (10).

Sagun Kamat (18) and Rohit Asnodkar(5) remained unbeaten.

With two teams required to qualify from the group for quarterfinals, Maharashtra, the table toppers, have already made it to the next stage. The second team to qualify from this group will be known on Thursday.

If the match between Jammu and Kashmir and Tripura ends in a draw tomorrow, the former will get three points by virtue of their first innings lead and will finish on 28 points, the same as Goa.

Thus the team whose run rate is more will qualifies for the knockout stage.