Gujarat survive scare, win Ranji Plate title

MUMBAI, January 8: Jay Desai was the lone Gujarat batsman who hadn't scored runs this season and he would not have played the Ranji trophy Plate (second) Division final but for an ankle injury to Bhavik Patel.
But he clicked at the right time with a priceless 17 not out to help stuttering Gujarat eke out a nerve-wracking one-wicket win over Railways to win the last Plate division final and put their name on a Ranji trophy for the first time.From next year, the Plate finalists will play in the Super league knockout rounds.
Gujarat, chasing a target of 150, crashed from 124 for four to 142 for nine before Desai and last man Siddharth Trivedi took them home.
It was tough luck for Railways' Sanjay Bangar who bowled tirelessly to claim six for 53 (11 wickets in the match) and skipper Murali Kartik who saw three catches missed off his bowling, all of which would have had a bearing on the outcome.
With Bangar and Kartik bowling so well, Gujarat sent Mohnish Parmar at No.6 to counterattack after the dismissals of Parthiv Patel and Niraj Patel. He did his job with 41 off 36 balls with eight fours and Gujarat were cruising to victory at 124 for four.
But when Parmar gave the charge to Kartik and was caught at mid-on by Parida and his partner Hem Joshipura was caught and bowled by the Railways skipper, the game suddenly turned Railways way, especially when the reliable Timil Patel was caught behind of Bangar who had earlier dropped him at slip off Kartik.
However, Desai, the last batsman left, didn't display any signs of the pressure getting to him, giving Kartik the charge and then sweeping him for four to inch the score from 127 to 131 for seven at lunch. After the breather, Desai was let off by Santosh Saxena off Kartik. Harvinder Singh also dropped a catch, that of Makda off Kartik again.
Bangar, though, brought Railways back into the game by taking two wickets in two balls which reduced Gujarat to 143-9. But Desai kept his composure to see his side through.