BHUBANESWAR 16-Dec-2011 133
After surviving in the Elite Group of the Ranji Trophy Championship for five successive seasons, Odisha finally ensured their relegation to next year’s Plate Group by conceding a 48-run first innings lead against Railways in a sixth-round match, which ended in a draw at Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi on Friday.
It is now clear that the hapless Odisha side will finish at the bottom of the Group-A table irrespective of the outcome of the seventh and last-round match against defending champions Rajasthan, scheduled to be played at Jaipur from December 21 to 24.
Rajasthan, meanwhile, secured their place in the Elite Group by thrashing Saurashtra by 229 runs. They now have 10 points against Odisha’s two.
Railways, on the other hand, progressed to the fourth position of the Group-A table with 13 points in their kitty. The drawn tie against Odisha fetched them three points.
Odisha’s last ray of hope to survive in the Elite Group vanished at Delhi due to a collapse of the middle and lower order batting. Resuming at their first innings at overnight score of 294 for five and needing another 86 runs to take the crucial first-innings lead, Odisha were bowled out for 331, losing their last five wickets for 28 runs.
