Ranji Trophy 2018-19: Haryana-Jharkhand game wrapped up in less than five sessions

The Cricket Stadium in Lahli is well known for producing some low-scoring Ranji Trophy matches and the same transpired during the second round game of the 2018-19 season between Haryana and Jharkhand. The stadium, named after Chaudhary Bansi Lal in Rohtak, witnessed the visiting side winning this fixture by nine wickets before Tea interval on the second day. Jharkhand claimed six points from this game as they lost one wicket chasing 11 runs against the hosts.

The game was finished in only 117.5 overs with a total of 308 runs were scored by both the teams for the loss of 31 wickets. Haryana, on a tricky batting track, interestingly elected to bat first instead of bowling and utilizing the freshness in the surface. As a result, they were bowled out for only 81 and 72 in their respective innings. Jharkhand made 143 in their first innings to take a 62-run first-innings lead.

Varun Aaron bagged six wickets in the second innings to reduce Haryana from 30/1 to 72/10 in the post-lunch session. The Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan promoted himself as an opener in the second innings to ensure his team claimed the bonus point. However, he was dismissed for just one run before his team reached the target and settle with only six points. Seamer Ajay Yadav, who took four wickets in the first innings and three in the second was awarded the man of the match.

A first-class record:

In this low-scoring encounter, only two runs came via extras in the whole game. In Haryana’s first innings, Ajay Yadav bowled a no-ball while Jharkhand had a leg-bye in their first innings. These two runs are the fewest in any completed match in the history of first-class cricket outside England. A total of 34 instances of two or fewer extras in a FC game were recorded before with all of those games being played in England.

The last of the 34 occurrences was during the 1964 County Championship game between Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire at the Griff and Coton Ground in Nuneaton. Warwickshire won this game by innings and 125 runs that witnessed two extras during the Warwick’s innings (1 leg-bye and 1 no-ball). The previous fewest number of extras recorded in a completed first-class match outside England was three also in a Ranji Trophy game between Madras and Kerala in 1961-62 which was hosted by Salem.

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