JHARKHAND, HYDERABAD IN VIJAY HAZARE TROPHY SEMIS

BENGALURU: Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy picked up a fourwicket haul as Jharkhand beat Maharashtra by eight wickets in a rain-hit match to enter the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Monday.

The pace duo of Rahul Shukla (3/35) and Varun Aaron (2/47) provided the early breakthroughs before Roy (4/32) ran through the middle and lower order with a career-best effort to dismiss Maharashtra for 181 in 42.2 overs. Rohit Motwani (52) steadied the ship after Maharashtra lost four wickets for 72 runs.

Jharkhand’s chase was halted in the sixth over due to rain, reducing the target to 174 runs in 47 overs before it was revised to 127 runs in 34 overs. It was a comfortable ride for Jharkhand, who were 89/2 in 27 overs when the target was revised again.

Shasheem Rathour (53*) ensured Jharkhand got home with 10 balls to spare and the loss of just two wickets. Jharkhand will face Delhi in the second semifinal on October 18.

In the other quarterfinal, Hyderabad beat Andhra by 14 runs. B Sandeep top-scored for Hyderabad with 96 as his team posted 281/8 in 50 overs. Sandeep ended up upstaging Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari, whose 95 went in vain with Andhra managing 267/9 in 50 overs. Hyderabad will now face Mumbai in the first semi-final on Wednesday.

Brief scores: Jharkhand 127/2 in 32.2 overs (S Rathour 53*) beat Maharashtra 181 all out in 42.2 overs (R Motwani 52; A Roy 4/32) by eight wickets (VJD method)

Hyderabad 281/8 in 50 overs (B Sandeep 96) beat Andhra 267/9 in 50 overs (H Vihari 95, R Bhui 52; M Siraj 3/50) by 14 runs.

SHAW, RAHANE BOOST FOR MUMBAI

MUMBAI: Formidable Mumbai got a major boost for the crucial semifinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with the availability of three top players, two of whom missed the whole or part of the league phase.

Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane are the three batsmen who will turn out for Mumbai in the semis. Of these, Sharma, who played in the quarter-finals of the national ODI tournament, will be available for at least the semis along with Shaw and Rahane, who both featured in the victorious Test squad against the West Indies.