All posts by h79snht.top

قرر الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة بنادي الزمالك، بقيادة الكولومبي خوان كارلوس أوسوريو، رفع الإيقاف عن عمرو السيسي لاعب الكتيبة البيضاء، بعد فترة من الاستبعاد من المباريات والتدريبات الجماعية على خلفية ما بدر منه.

وتم تجميد عمرو السيسي بالاستبعاد من المشاركة في التدريبات الجماعية وأداء تدريبات منفردة في صالة الجيمانزيوم بمقر النادي.

طالع أيضًا | خاص.. أوسوريو يغيب عن تدريبات الزمالك اليوم

وقرر الجهاز الفني للزمالك الاكتفاء بتلك الفترة ليبدأ في الانتظام في التدريبات من جديد بعد استئنافها اليوم الإثنين وخاض التدريبات الجماعية.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة نظيره زد، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار مواجهات الجولة السادسة من عمر بطولة الدوري.

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 8 نقاط، حصدها بعد خوض 5 مواجهات، فاز في 2 وتعادل في مثلها وتلقى هزيمة واحدة.

علق محمد الضاوي كريستو لاعب فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي على عدم مشاركته في مباراة اليوم أمام سيمبا ضمن منافسات دوري السوبر الإفريقي.

والتقى الأهلي مع فريق سيمبا اليوم على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إياب دور ربع نهائي الدوري الإفريقي بعدما تعادلا في مباراة الذهاب بنتيجة 2-2.

وصعد الأهلي إلى نصف نهائي دوري السوبر الإفريقي، لينتظر الفائز من مباراة صن داونز وبترو أتليتكو في الدور نصف النهائي.

وقال كريستو في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أبو ظبي” الرياضية: “الحمد لله على التأهل، سنعمل أكثر لكي نفوز بالمباريات المقبلة ونتوج بـ دوري السوبر الإفريقي”.

طالع | عماد متعب: كولر فكر في المباراة المُقبلة خلال الشوط الثاني .. وسيمبا فريق مفكك

وحول سبب عدم مشاركته في مباراة اليوم؟، أوضح: “هذه اختيارات المدير الفني لا يوجد أحد يتدخل فيها، الوقت الذي يشركني فيه المدرب أنا جاهز”.

وعن مواجهة صن داونز المحتملة؟، أجاب: “سنجهز للمباراة مثل أي لقاء، وصن داونز فريق كبير والأهلي سيلعب على المكسب، وإن شاء الله سنفوز”.

Yorkshire will begin the defence of their County Championship title at New Road in 2015 as Worcestershire face the toughest of starts to life back in Division One.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2014

Yorkshire will begin the defence of their County Championship title at New Road in 2015 as Worcestershire, in their 150th anniversary year, face the toughest of starts to life back in Division One.Yorkshire were comfortably the best team in the country last season and they will hope to lift consecutive titles at Headingley in the final round of the season, beginning on Tuesday September 22, where they entertain Sussex.The 2015 calendar mirrors last season with County Championship matches largely beginning on a Sunday with the first round of matches scheduled for April 12. They will be proceeded by the Champion County match, between Yorkshire and MCC, in Abu Dhabi from March 22.Newly promoted Hampshire will start their first campaign back in Division One for the first time since 2010 at home to Sussex. While relegated Lancashire can plot their immediate promotion from Derbyshire – their first fixture in the second round of the season.The NatWest T20 Blast is again spread across May, June and July, played primarily on Friday nights. The first round of matches is on May 15 with Finals Day back at Edgbaston on Saturday August 29. Warwickshire’s title defence begins with a difficult trip to Trent Bridge.A dedicated window is once more set aside for 50-over cricket where three weeks from July 26 are largely dedicated to long-form white-ball cricket. The showpiece Lord’s final is once again late in the season on September 19.Festival grounds continue to make an appearance on the calendar with favourites such as Cheltenham and Scarborough continuing to attract plenty of matches. Lancashire will also return to Southport for just their third first-class match this century.First XI cricket will also find a new part of the country in 2015 with Nottinghamshire taking T20 matches to Welbeck Colliery CC in the small village of Sookholme, north of Mansfield.For a full fixture list, click here

In the aftermath of England’s embarrassing 2007 World Cup campaign the first wicketkeeper selected was Matt Prior. Nearly four years on, and a month away from the next global tournament, he is again in possession but that doesn’t mean it’s been a smooth r

Andrew McGlashan in Hobart20-Jan-2011In the aftermath of England’s embarrassing 2007 World Cup campaign the first wicketkeeper selected was Matt Prior. Nearly four years on, and a month away from the next global tournament, he is again in possession but that doesn’t mean it’s been a smooth ride. Prior has been dropped three times in that period, the most recent 10 months ago in Bangladesh, as the selectors tried various options before deciding their original choice was the best.When Steve Davies was given the gloves against Pakistan last year, following a brief stint for Craig Kieswetter, and retained for the one-day series against Australia it appeared Prior’s World Cup chance had gone. But he’d finished the Ashes in prime form with 118 at Sydney and, wisely, took up the chance to play Twenty20 cricket for Victoria.”I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest,” Prior said. “Obviously I was hoping, you always do when the team is getting selected, and I’ve always said that whenever England are playing I want to be the man with the gloves on. I’m absolutely delighted with the selection. It feels like I’ve come home again.”Prior has never hidden his drive to be England’s keeper in all three formats. He has sometimes felt harshly treated over one-day cricket and his desire for self-improvement was evident when he took up the Big Bash offer rather than return home after the Ashes.”When the option was thrown at to me either go home or stay here playing cricket it was a pretty simple decision for me,” he said. “I’ve stated for a long time that I want to play one-day international cricket again and flying home to sit in the snow in England wasn’t going to better my chances at all.”I’ve been in positions before when I’ve felt I’ve done okay and then been dropped, but that’s international sport. The one thing you do is go back to the drawing board, dust yourself down and come back harder. I’ve put a lot of hard work into my one-day game, it hasn’t just happened overnight. There are obviously reasons why I’m here and it’s now down to me to prove that by performing well.”However, the recall doesn’t mean all the tricky decisions are made. A feature of Prior’s 55-match one-day career is how many positions he has filled in the order; everywhere apart from Nos.5, 10 and 11, while his last 50-over outings were at No.6. This constant movement hasn’t helped his development and the next stage of his career will be back as an opener, where he has batted on 27 occasions.He has never been a complete failure in the one-day side, but his career to date is characterised by how many starts he has made only to then fall without dominating. He has just two half-centuries, with a top score of 87 against West Indies, but has been dismissed between 20 and 50 on 18 occasions – 13 of those as an opener. Prior, though, remains convinced that’s his best position rather than a middle-order worker.”That’s where I want to play in one-day cricket,” he said. “Andrew Strauss and I will form a pretty good partnership, we get on well and run well between the wickets. I’m a very different player to the guy who opened the batting however many years ago. Getting the starts wasn’t a problem, or getting in against the new ball, I was always seemed to get good starts but I didn’t have the experience at the time to then make the match-winning score.”If you look at Shane Watson in the last game with 161, those are the type of innings all batsmen are trying to get. Forties and fifties don’t win games and that’s certainly what I’ll be trying to do once I get in and make a start.”Another factor in Prior’s return is the part he plays in the field, not just as a much-improved and now world-class keeper but also the central focus of the fielding unit. Prior’s constant chirping and encouragement is not to everyone’s taste, but the coach Andy Flower made specific reference to the energy he brings to the side.”I’ve taken it upon myself to lead the fielding unit,” he said. “As an England team we thrive on setting very high standards in the field. I like to try and push the boys as much as possible with that. When I’m out there it’s one of my roles – I want to score runs and catch more than I drop – to make sure I’m pulling people with me and making sure our standards in the field remain very high.”The remainder of the one-day series in Australia will see Prior and Davies travelling together as part of the squad, but Prior doesn’t foresee there being any issues with the man he has just pushed out of a World Cup berth.”We are the keepers’ union and have been for the whole of this trip. We go a long way back,” he said. “I think we both know that we are pushing for the same place and all you can do is try your best to perform. Whoever gets the nod on the day fair play to them. It works that way, it is international sport and cut-throat at times but everyone has been through it.”Prior knows only too well the feeling of losing his place, and having earned it back, he wants to keep it for a long time to come.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo não convive com seu melhor momento na atual temporada. Após um bom começo sob o comando de Eduardo Barroca, a equipe alvinegra passa por um período de estagnação. Depois da parada para a Copa América, o Glorioso conviveu com uma eliminação nas oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana, para o Atlético-MG, e apenas duas vitórias: Athletico Paranaense e Avaí, ambas pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

Barroca chegou ao comando do Botafogo antes do início do Brasileirão. Nas nove primeiras rodadas – período da competição disputado antes do começo da Copa América -, o Alvinegro teve cinco vitórias e quatro derrotas e, com 15 pontos conquistados e 55,5% de aproveitamento, ocupava a sétima posição na classificação. O Goiás, à época, também tinha 15 pontos, mas terminou em sexto por ter maior saldo de gols.

Além do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Botafogo também passou, sem dificuldades, do Sol de América, equipe do Paraguai, pela segunda fase da Copa Sul-Americana, com duas vitórias no confronto: 1 a 0 fora de casa e 4 a 0 no Estádio Nilton Santos.

Ao todo, o desempenho de Eduardo Barroca antes da Copa América era positivo: onze partidas e sete vitórias, com 63,6% de aproveitamento. Neste período, a equipe marcou 13 gols e levou oito.

RelacionadasBotafogoSub-20: Botafogo leva goleada do São Paulo pelo BrasileirãoBotafogo28/08/2019BotafogoCom dores no pé direito, Pimpão deixa treino de carrinho elétricoBotafogo28/08/2019BotafogoCarli explicita sentimento pelo resultado contra Chape: ‘Muita raiva’Botafogo28/08/2019

Reforços?
​O momento do Botafogo também é ruim fora das quatro linhas. Eduardo Barroca teve dois reforços desde que chegou ao Botafogo: Victor Rangel e Biro Biro. O primeiro não chegou ao Alvinegro com o físico ideal e, após realizar um fortalecimento neste quesito, ainda não conseguiu colocar boas atuações; o segundo, por sua vez, teve sua rescisão de contrato com o Alvinegro protocolada, já que não pode entrar em campo por ter sofrido uma síncope durante um treinamento no campo anexo do Estádio Nilton Santos.

Além disto, Eduardo Barroca perdeu, talvez, o seu melhor jogador. Antes da partida contra o Flamengo, em 28 de julho, Erik foi negociado com o Yokohama Marinos, do Japão. O atacante, que estava emprestado pelo Palmeiras, deixou o clube sem deixar nenhum ganho financeiro, já que o Glorioso, por força de contrato, não tinha direito a nada de uma possível futura negociação.

– A gente não perdeu só o Erik. Perdemos Kieza, Ferrareis, Biro Biro. Diante do cenário a gente precisa ser muito realista. Estamos tentando encontrar as soluções dentro de casa. Estou falando de diversos jogadores que perdemos e estamos com dificuldade de repor. Não cabe aqui nenhuma reclamação. O clube passa por dificuldade. Estamos tentando esticar a corda da melhor forma. Todo corpo funcional do Botafogo está trabalhando no seu limite – analisou Eduardo Barroca, após o empate em 0 a 0 com a Chapecoense.

Sem reforços e com saídas importantes, Eduardo Barroca também tem que conviver com um ambiente externo conturbado. O Botafogo convive com problemas financeiros e chegou a ficar com dois meses de salários atrasados junto ao elenco. Durante a folga da Copa América, os jogadores, inclusive, fizeram uma greve de silêncio, em protesto aos débitos junto à diretoria.

Período pós-Copa América é preocupante
Os problemas fora de campo refletiram dentro das quatro linhas. Desde o retorno da temporada, o Botafogo realizou nove partidas, com apenas duas vitórias. O aproveitamento de 63,3% passou a ser de 29,6%. Além dos triunfos, foram dois empates e cinco derrotas.

Neste período, o Alvinegro balançou as redes em seis oportunidades, mas levou dez gols. A produção ofensiva, que tinha 1,1 tentos por duelo antes da Copa América, passou a ter uma média de menos de um gol por jogo: 0,6. Na defesa, a equipe também passou a conceder mais – 55,5% dos gols levados pelo Glorioso sob o comando de Eduardo Barroca aconteceram após a competição internacional.

O treinador ainda tenta descobrir a melhor forma de escalar a equipe. Titular durante boa parte do ciclo após a Copa América, Rodrigo Pimpão não passa por um momento positivo dentro das quatro linhas. Neste contexto, as opções disponíveis são Lucas Campos e Rhuan, jogadores oriundos das categorias de base. Sem dinheiro para contratar, Barroca deve achar soluções em atletas formados em General Severiano.

No Campeonato Brasileiro, o Botafogo se afastou do G6. Com 23 pontos e ocupando a nona colocação, a distância para o Atlético-MG, primeiro clube na zona de Libertadores, é de quatro pontos. O buraco para esta parte da tabela, que não era de nenhum ponto nos nove primeiros jogos de Eduardo Barroca, quadruplicou nos últimos sete compromissos do técnico no Brasileirão.

India captain MS Dhoni says the performance of Harbhajan Singh and the part-time spinners has been a big positive that has come out of the on-going ODI series in South Africa

Sidharth Monga in Port Elizabeth20-Jan-2011

India came here as a potential threat to South Africa’s proud home record, but while people would have expected the result in Tests, it comes as a surprise that for the second time on the tour India find themselves one match away from winning a series. It didn’t happen in the Tests, although 1-1 was a hugely creditable result, but in the ODIs they have two chances to become only the third side to win a bilateral series in South Africa.They have come close without the services of key players; something they have become used to in limited-over series. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar have played no part in the series, and Sachin Tendulkar went home after the second game.On the eve of the fourth ODI, MS Dhoni said his side was approaching the game the same way as any other. “The mood is the same,” he said. “When we lost the first game, we felt it was very important to keep a positive state of mind throughout the series. We play so many games, so our mood and mental state cannot fluctuate too much. We always concentrate on the process, and don’t really see what the scorecard is saying or what the series position is. We are not thinking about anything right now. We just need to make sure that we don’t repeat all the wrong things that we have done so far in the tournament. That will be our focus.”One of the big positives from this series for India has been the way the spinners have performed on tracks that, in theory, should be less helpful than the ones in the subcontinent. Harbhajan Singh, Dhoni said, “is bowling as well as you have seen him bowl through his career”, and the part-timers are “a big plus for us”.”Harbhajan has done really well. We are using him regularly in the Powerplay and have used him even before the 10th over.” Harbhajan has gone for just 3.82 runs an over in the first three games.Dhoni said the reasons for the improvement in Harbhajan’s form could be a mix of conditions and batsmen’s attitude. “If the batsmen are successful, we tend to turn around and say maybe the bowler is not bowling well, but sometimes it may just be that the batsmen are playing really well.”Some of the Indian tracks are too flat to do anything on. The batsmen have the momentum from the very start. If they get off to a good start, then once you bring the spinner on, it is a 50-50 scenario. They go after the spinners. If in the first few overs they are able to apply some pressure, then the spinner is on the back foot. A lot depends on where you are playing, and how the batsmen are coping with you.”Dhoni is also pleased with the work the other spinners have put in. “Along with him, the part-timers are doing a real good job, and of course the team composition allows me to have a few more part-timers than we would [with a full-strength squad]. Virender Sehwag is not bowling regularly, if Gautam Gambhir is part of the side he doesn’t bowl, and we are not using Sachin Tendulkar that much, but because of their absence we are featuring players who can contribute with the ball. It gives me the liberty of using even eight bowlers in one innings.”Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh have combined to bowl 40 overs over the three ODIs played so far and have taken five wickets between them.That, though, doesn’t undermine the importance of the three big batsmen when they are back. “We will have to use the resources that are part of the side at that point of time. If you see the best batting line-up the Indian team has, Viru will be part of it, so will Sachin and Gautam, which means we will have maybe just two part-timers in the side. The surprise element of who is going to bowl from the other end won’t be there, because I won’t have so many options. But still they are the best batting line-up, and they will feature, that’s why we need to perform with the bat more than the ball.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Começou a circular na quarta-feira à tarde, pelo Whatsapp, a notícia de que o Grêmio havia escalado um jogador irregularmente na partida do Pacaembu, teria sido punido pela Conmebol e a vaga na semifinal brasileira da Libertadores, contra o Flamengo, cairia de bandeja no colo do Palmeiras. Não era uma fake news qualquer. Tinha o logotipo e um link que levavam à página do G1, portal de notícias do Grupo Globo. O que garantiria uma suposta veracidade da informação.

Os palmeirenses se alvoroçaram. Sem se dar ao trabalho de acessar a fonte, entrar no G1 para checar, onde obviamente não encontrariam a notícia, compartilharam em massa a informação que, em poucos minutos, espalhou-se pela rede. Como se fosse irrefutável verdade. Uma segunda versão, partida sabe-se lá de onde, como tudo nesse universo digital, substitui pouco depois o texto falso por um meme, com a imagem do palhaço-deputado Tiririca debochando dos incautos com a frase: “É mentira, abestado!”

É lamentável, mas é assim que hoje tem funcionado as coisas no mundo da comunicação – ou da descomunicação, se é que essa palavra existe. Mas foi só uma zoeira de futebol, uma piada inofensiva, dirão os mais conformados. Ainda que fosse assim, seria ruim. Mas evidentemente há um interesse escuso, uma boa dose de maldade quando se espalha uma fake news. E muito pior é quando o assunto abordado pelos piratas da web é a economia, a saúde ou a política. Empresas quebram, postos de saúde superlotam, reputações são destruídas. E, quase sempre, impunemente.

A fugaz euforia palmeirense nos leva a algumas constatações.

Em primeiro lugar, mostra que jamais foi tão atual o velho dito popular de que uma mentira repetida mil vezes acaba se tornando uma verdade. Só que hoje são alguns milhares ou milhões de cliques que transformam, com a força de uma bomba de átomos, boatos em realidade. E as consequências podem ser graves, imprevisíveis, muito além de uma brincadeirinha inocente. Para ficar apenas no futebol, essas notícias falsas, por vezes, acirram os ânimos, estimulam rivalidades além da conta e estimulam situações que não raramente terminam, como se sabe, em vandalismo e morte pelas ruas, nas estações de trem, nos terminais de ônibus ou em torno dos estádios.

O segundo ponto que chama atenção é o desprezo crescente pela verdade, cada vez mais substituída pelas versões e as armações digitais. O interesse pessoal de cada um, seja como torcedor seja nas relações pessoais ou no posicionamento político, é que passou a guiar boa parte da sociedade, não mais a visão imparcial dos fatos. Só se lê aquilo que interessa, onde interessa. E quanto mais isso for espalhado, melhor. Teriam os palmeirenses compartilhado a notícia fosse o Palmeiras – e não o Grêmio – o prejudicado pela informação? Certamente que não!

É um problema universal. Em Portugal, por exemplo, o Jornal de Notícias, um dos mais respeitados veículos de imprensa do país, desmascarou no ano passado uma rede especializada em espalhar notícias falsas sobre futebol na Internet. O “negócio”, que gerava crescentes receitas publicitárias pelo impacto causado, se escondia atrás de blogs e sites muito parecidos com portais esportivos verdadeiros. Uma vez publicados ali, como se fossem reais, os textos eram replicados em páginas de Facebook, com o uso de robôs, atingindo em pouco tempo a cerca de 3 milhões de seguidores, quase um terço da população portuguesa.

Em um país como o Brasil, onde dos palácios do Planalto aos gabinetes da oposição, dos bares do Leblon às coberturas dos Jardins, a elite não tem pudor de semear versões em causa própria ou para arruinar os adversários, não há quem não esteja exposto às fake news. E, sejamos francos, que atire a primeira pedra quem nunca compartilhou algum tipo de informação nas redes sociais, sem antes ter checado a sua veracidade. Pois quebrar essa corrente depende de cada um de nós. E o antídoto é valorizar o bom jornalismo, aquele que, mesmo com todas as suas falhas e fraquezas, ainda é capaz de demonstrar compromisso com a verdade.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoFlamengo x Palmeiras: prováveis times, desfalques, onde ver e palpitesBrasileirão31/08/2019Futebol NacionalAlvos de debate por Seleção, Bruno Henrique e Dudu fazem duelo à parteFutebol Nacional31/08/2019GrêmioRenato rebate Jorge Jesus e fala sobre orçamento do FlamengoGrêmio31/08/2019

Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez will be sent to Chennai to undergo remedial work and tests on his bowling action, the PCB said on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2014

Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez will be sent to Chennai to undergo remedial work and unofficial tests on his bowling action, the PCB said on Wednesday. Hafeez was suspended from bowling last week due to an illegal action and his elbow extension was found to be ‘well over 15 degrees’ according to an ICC report. Pakistan will withdraw Hafeez from the current ODI series against New Zealand and he is likely to leave from Sharjah after the second game on Friday.”We are sending Hafeez to a biomechanics lab in Chennai for unofficial testing and remodeling his action accordingly,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said. “He is being withdrawn from the ODI series and the replacement will be decided by the selectors.”Khan added that Hafeez and Pakistan’s other suspended offspinner, Saeed Ajmal, will “be sent for the ICC’s official testing by January 7”.Hafeez, 34, had been reported for a suspect action after the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi as the umpires were concerned about the legality of four of his deliveries. He had also run into trouble over his action during the Champions League T20, being reported by the umpires after Lahore Lions’ game against Dolphins in Bangalore.

علّق ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو، المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي، على تعادلهم في مباراة اليوم مع آرسنال، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي.

واستضاف ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” مباراة الفريقين في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري، حيث تعادلا بهدفين لمثليهما (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال بوتشيتينو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “أعتقد أننا فقدنا نقطتين، نشعر بخيبة أمل ولكن لا يمكنك تغيير ما حدث، كنا منافسين للغاية ضد فريق جيد جدًا كان يقاتل من أجل الدوري الإنجليزي الموسم الماضي”.

وأضاف: “نحن فريق شاب وأعتقد أن الطريقة التي تنافسنا بها هي أمر يدعو للفخر، ولكننا نشعر بخيبة أمل لأنه بعد 77 دقيقة عندما استقبلنا الهدف الأول أعتقد أننا كنا أفضل، كانت المباراة تحت السيطرة وكنا نلعب بشكل جيد”.

وواصل: “ولكن تكون هناك مخاطرة عندما تهتز شباك، نعم، نشعر بخيبة أمل، ولكن علينا أن نتعامل مع أشياء إيجابية، أريد أن أرى لاعبي فريقي حزينين لأنهم فقدوا نقطتين، نحن في اتجاه جيد، من المهم أن نظهر للناس إنه يمكننا المنافسة على هذا المستوى”.

وأردف: “هدف مودريك؟ نعم كان يقصد التسديد (ظن البعض أنه كان يرغب في إرسال عرضية إلى رحيم ستيرلينج ولكن الكرة هزت الشباك)، لأكون صادقًا، هذا لا يعني أنه وحده يستحق الثناء ولكنه كان يعرف موقع الحارس وأنه كان من الممكن التسجيل من هذا المكان، كان بحاجة إلى هدفه الأول في ستامفورد بريدج”.

وأكد: “لا يزال بحاجة إلى التحسن ولكن بهذا الهدف أعتقد أنه سيكون أكثر ثقة في المستقبل، كول بالمر؟ إنه لاعب لا يُصدق، هو صغير جدًا، ولكنه منفتح جدًا على التعلم، لقد أظهر قوة شخصيته”.

Round-up of the fourth day of the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2010
Scorecard
Mumbai will look back on Pankaj Singh’s inspired spell on the first day as a turning point, when he helped Rajasthan dismiss them for a paltry total•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rajasthan halted the run of 39-time champions Mumbai and entered the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy. The result was almost a foregone conclusion at the end of the second day, but they had to wait till the fourth evening to finally celebrate. Forget winning, they hadn’t taken a first-innings lead over Mumbai in 50 years and Aakash Chopra caught the spirit of the moment when he wrote, “It’s not often that you have the champions on the mat and the moment is worth a lot more than just a result going your way.” Rajasthan will now meet Tamil Nadu in Jaipur on January 3.For Rajasthan, the fourth day was all about waiting for play to end so they could start their celebrations.They were given added reason to smile as Ashok Menaria, the former India Under-19s captain who replaced Vaibhav Deshpande this game, completed his maiden first-class century. He hit eight fours and five sixes and was the last man out as Rajasthan batted out two hours at the start of the final day. Mumbai then scored 290 for 1 with Ajinkya Rahane and Sahil Kukrejka hitting hundreds. Rahane, in particular, provided some entertainment with a 69-ball 102 runs with 12 fours and three sixes.

Scorecard
R Sathish hit a fine hundred to ensure Tamil Nadu prevailed over Haryana to enter the semi-finals by virtue of a better run-rate in the match at the Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli. Haryana will be disappointed that they had to end on the losing side despite dominating most of the game. In another fog-hit day when only 55 overs were possible, Sathish revived Tamil Nadu from 91 for 4 to finish on 285 for 6. He found great support in Dinesh Karthik, who had had a horror season before this game, and added 91 runs for the fifth wicket.The equation was simple at the start of the day: if a minimum of thirty overs were bowled in Tamil Nadu’s first innings, the team with the higher net run-rate in this game would advance to the semis. If the fog didn’t allow that many overs to be completed, the net run-rate from the league stage would have applied and Tamil Nadu would have gone through.Ranji Trophy 2010-11 semi-finals line-up

Rajasthan v Tamil Nadu in Jaipur, January 3-6, 2011

Baroda v Karnataka in Vadodara, January 3-6, 2011

Haryana began promisingly as Joginder Sharma and Sanjay Budhawar knocked out the in-form batsmen Abhinav Mukund and K Vasudevadas to leave Tamil Nadu wobbling at 91 for 4 in the 34th over. However, Sathish revived Tamil Nadu with a refreshing knock; he played his shots from the start and went after Sachin Rana in particular. Haryana were further handicapped as their captain Amit Mishra had a lacklustre day with the ball (0 for 53 in 12 overs). Though Karthik fell, lbw to Budhawar, Sathish found an able ally in C Ganapathy (17* in 100 minutes) and added 95 runs for the seventh wicket. Sathish finally fell but Ganapathy played out the final 3.5 overs in the company of R Ashwin to take Tamil Nadu to the semis
Scorecard
Baroda staved off a tough fight from Railways and qualified for the semi-finals on the basis of their first-innings lead. Railways fought bravely in the second innings but it was always going to be a tough ask for them to clinch an outright win after yielding a 168-run lead.Railways’ plan was simple on the final day: get some quick runs, declare and hope for a minor miracle from the bowlers. Prashant Awasthi was run out after completing his hundred and Dhiran Salvi made a quick 40 as they set Baroda a target of 199. There was to be no miracle, though, as Baroda reached 136 for the loss of just three wickets to ensure their progress to the semis. Connor Williams and the first-innings centurion Kedar Devdhar hit fifties to settle Baroda’s nerves after opener Jaikishan Kolsawala was trapped lbw by Jai Prakash Yadav. Though Devdhar and Rakesh Solanki fell, Williams remained unbeaten to ensure Railways went out of the competition.

.