Ranji Trophy 2022: Bengal sets semifinal date with Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai to face Uttar Pradesh

Manoj Tiwary hit a brilliant century (136, 185, 19*4, 2*6) as Bengal drew against Jharkhand to enter the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy 2022. Bengal will now face Madhya Pradesh for a place in the final. 

On the fifth and final day of the first quarterfinal at the Just Cricket ground in Bengaluru, Bengal started the day with a foot in the last four as the match was heading for a draw.  Having decided not to enforce the follow-on, Tiwary along with Shahbaz Ahmed (46, 51b, 4*4, 2*6) further piled agony on the Jharkhand bowlers. 

Meanwhile, Spinner Kumar Kartikeya carried on with his brilliant bowling display and spun a web around the Punjab batters as Madhya Pradesh cruised into the Ranji Trophy semifinals with a 10-wicket victory here on Thursday.

Punjab resumed play on day four at 120 for 5, still 58 adrift of their opponent to make them bat again.

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

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

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

Bengal will face Madhya Pradesh in the first semifinal at the KSCA Cricket Ground and Mumbai will take on Uttar Pradesh in the second semifinal at the Just Cricket Academy Ground. Both semifinals will be held during June 14-18.