Kanpur: In a tense finish on a tricky track, Vidarbha held their nerves to beat Uttar Pradesh by four wickets in their last league match of the Ranji Trophy at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, on Sunday. Chasing a modest target on a challenging surface, Vidarbha rode on a crucial fifth-wicket partnership between opener A Mokhade and Danish Malewar, who added 82 runs together, easing the pressure and steering the hosts closer to victory. Resuming the final day at 91 for 4 in their second innings, Vidarbha saw Danish Malewar join overnight unbeaten Mokhade at the crease. The pair negotiated the UP bowling attack with confidence, capitalizing on loose deliveries while showing patience on the turning wicket. UP spinner Shivam Sharma eventually broke the partnership when Mokhade was caught by Aryan Juyal after a resolute knock of 80. Mokhade added 30 runs to his overnight score, facing 150 balls and striking 10 boundaries. He and Danish stitched together their partnership in 136 balls. Danish soon followed, scoring a valuable 54 before falling to part-time bowler Dhruv Chand Jurel, with Vidarbha at 195 for 6. With just 5 runs required for victory, captain Harsh Dubey and all-rounder Bhute completed the formalities, remaining unbeaten on 17 and 6 respectively. For Uttar Pradesh, Shivam Sharma was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 55 runs. UP coach Arvind Kapoor lauded the effort of the bowlers and remarked that the team’s campaign suffered due to the abandoned match against Baroda, which could not be played because of poor ground conditions. Brief scores: UP first innings: 237, second innings: 200; Vidarbha first innings: 237; 6 for 201 (A Mokhade 83 not out, Danish Malewar 54; Shivam Sharma 4/55).
