Delhi all but out of Ranji Trophy knock-out contention after losing humdinger to Jharkhand

Dhruv Shorey's counter-attacking hundred set up a fitting final hour but old warhorse Shahbaz Nadeem's second five-wicket haul enabled Jharkhand to oust Delhi from quarterfinal contention with a thrilling 15-run win in the final over of their Ranji Trophy group H encounter on Sunday. While Shorey should be credited for his superb 136 off 177 balls that kept Delhi in hunt for a tough score of 335 but they wilted under pressure during the final half an hour when Nadeem (5/83 in 31 overs) and fellow left-arm orthodox spinner Anukul Roy (2/71 in 20.4 overs) brilliantly closed down the run-scoring opportunities. Delhi skipper Pradeep Sangwan was coolly stumped by debutant wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra after he failed to get going.

Nadeem's 10-wicket match haul ensured that Jharkhand, with full six points, stay in contention for a knockout berth when they lock horns with Tamil Nadu (6 points) in their last game. However, both teams will want that Delhi at least stop Chhattisgarh (7 points and current group toppers) from going beyond a point. For Delhi, the tournament is as good as over and only seven points (including a bonus) against Chattisgarh will give them a slim chance in theory.

On the day, Jharkhand skipper Virat Singh declared at 307 for 7 leaving Delhi with a target of 335 in just over two and half sessions. It was Shorey, who attacked Jharkhand new ball bowlers to collect boundaries at will as 60 came in little over 10 overs. The Jharkhand skipper spread the field to stop the flow of boundaries.

Delhi batters ran more than 120 singles, courtesy Shorey, who also had 17 fours and two sixes to his credit. It was a back-foot punch through covers that got him to his second century in as many matches. He added 60 with Yash