Kerala advance to Plate Group Final

A meek collapse from the Madhya Pradesh lower-order meant that Kerala advanced to the Ranji Trophy Plate group final after completing the formalities of their semi-final tie at Kochi on Tuesday.

Resuming on 126 for five, still 104 runs behind in their bid for a win, Madhya Pradesh suffered their first major loss when skipper Amay Khurasiya fell for 77, adding just three runs to his overnight score.

That removed virtually the last of the resistance from Madhya Pradesh, and Sreekumar Nair took rapid toll of the tail-enders, ending with five wickets for 66 runs in his 33 overs. Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 161, giving Kerala a 68-run win halfway through the fourth day's play.