Yadav, Kaif help UP seize initiative on Day 2

Half centuries from Jyoti Yadav and Mohammed Kaif took Uttar Pradesh within hopping distance of the first innings lead at the end of the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final match against Hyderabad at the Green Park in Kanpur today. Having bowled out the visitors for 291, UP had progressed to 206/3 from 76 overs at stumps.

Three successive half century partnerships in the UP innings put them firmly on course to overtake Hyderabad's none too imposing total. Yadav and Mohammed Saif put on 69 for the first wicket before Saif was trapped in front of the wicket by Vanka Pratap for 18. Yadav then added exactly fifty for the second wicket with Kaif before Kanwaljit Singh dismissed him for 61 (127 balls, 9 fours). And then Kaif and Rizwan Shamshad continued the good work with a workmanlike 59 run partnership for the third wicket. At stumps captain Gyanendra Pandey (18) was holding the fort along with Kaif. The latter was unbeaten on a stolid 66 off 169 balls, that included three boundaries.

Earlier Hyderabad added another 45 runs to their overnight tally of 246 /8 before they folded up for 291 thirteen overs into the day. VVS Laxman was ninth out for 128 (263 balls, 13 fours and a six), castled by Ashish Zaidi with the score at 268. NP Singh and Kanwaljit Singh then put on a further 23 for the last wicket before Zaidi bowled NP Singh for good measure to finish with figures of 3/70.