Kalyani (West Bengal): Jammu and Kashmir scripted history by reaching the Ranji Trophy finals for the first time in their 67-year history, defeating two-time former champions Bengal by six wickets on day four of the semifinal here on Wednesday.
Set a below-par target of 126 by the home side, they chased it down in 34.4 overs, with Vanshaj Sharma (43 not out) and Abdul Samad (30 not out) steering them past the finish line.
This was after pace spearhead Auqib Nabi had wreaked havoc by taking nine wickets in the match to destroy the host side's chances.
J&K first participated in the Ranji Trophy in the 1959-60 season and was not seen as a contender up until now.
During the 2013-14 season, they qualified for the knockouts for the first time in over a decade.
At stumps on day three on Tuesday, J&K were 43/2, and they lost overnight batter Shubham Pundir (27) and skipper Paras Dogra (9) early on day four.
But Vanshaj and Samad dug in with a 55-run partnership to steer them to a historic victory.
Brief scores:
Bengal: 328 and 99 in 25.1 overs.
Jammu and Kashmir: 302 and 126 for 4 in 34.4 overs (Vanshaj Sharma 43 not out, Abdul Samad 30 not out).
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