The much-anticipated Ranji Trophy 2024 is set to kick off on January 5, promising months of intense and riveting cricket action. Organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), this first-class tournament is a crucial platform for cricketers to showcase their talent and make a mark in the cricketing world.
Tournament Structure and Teams
A total of 38 teams will participate in the Ranji Trophy 2024, making it a massive cricketing spectacle. The teams are divided into two categories – elite and plate. The elite category comprises 32 teams, further divided into four groups of eight teams each. In contrast, the plate category features six teams.
Elite Category:
Group A:
- Haryana
- Jharkhand
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Rajasthan
- Saurashtra
- Services
- Vidarbha
Group B:
- Andhra
- Assam
- Bengal
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
- Kerala
- Mumbai
- Uttar Pradesh
Group C:
- Chandigarh
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Karnataka
- Punjab
- Railways
- Tamil Nadu
- Tripura
Group D:
- Baroda
- Delhi
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Madhya Pradesh
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Uttarakhand
Plate Category:
- Nagaland
- Hyderabad
- Meghalaya
- Sikkim
- Mizoram
- Arunachal Pradesh
Tournament Format
In the elite category, each team will face the other seven teams in their group once. The top two teams from each elite group will secure a spot in the quarter-finals. On the other hand, the plate division will witness each team playing the other five sides once. The top four teams out of six will advance to the plate group knockouts.
An intriguing aspect of the Ranji Trophy format is the promotion and relegation system. The two finalists from the plate group will earn promotion to the elite group for the next season. Simultaneously, the two bottom-placed teams from the elite groups, considering both points and quotient, will be relegated to the plate group.
Defending Champions and Historical Triumphs
Saurashtra enters the tournament as the defending champions, having secured a memorable victory against Bengal in the Ranji Trophy final at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata last year, winning by nine wickets.
Mumbai stands tall as the most successful team in Ranji Trophy history, boasting a remarkable 41 titles. Karnataka follows suit with eight titles, while Delhi has clinched the coveted trophy seven times.
Where to Catch the Action
Cricket enthusiasts can catch the live telecast of the Ranji Trophy 2024 on Sports18 Network’s TV channels in India. Additionally, for those on the go, live streaming of the matches will be available on the JioCinema app and website.
Ranji Trophy 2024 schedule and live match start times
All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)
| Day and Date | Match | Venue | Time |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Gujarat vs Tamil Nadu, Elite Group C | Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, Valsad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Bihar vs Mumbai, Elite Group B | Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Kerala vs Uttar Pradesh, Elite Group B | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Chhattisgarh vs Assam, Elite Group B | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Karnataka vs Punjab, Elite Group C | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Chandigarh vs Railways, Elite Group C | Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Nagaland vs Hyderabad, Plate | Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Sovima, Dimapur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Arunachal Pradesh vs Meghalaya, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Mizoram vs Sikkim, Plate | GS Patel Stadium, Nadiad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Delhi vs Puducherry, Elite Group D | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Andhra vs Bengal, Elite Group B | Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Tripura vs Goa, Elite Group C | Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Agartala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Maharashtra vs Manipur, Elite Group A | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Uttarakhand vs Madhya Pradesh, Elite Group D | Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Haryana vs Rajasthan, Elite Group A | Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Jammu and Kashmir vs Himachal Pradesh, Elite Group D | Hostel Ground JKCA, Jammu | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Vidarbha vs Services, Elite Group A | Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Baroda vs Odisha, Elite Group D | Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 5 – Monday, January 8 | Saurashtra vs Jharkhand, Elite Group A | Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Services vs Rajasthan, Elite Group A | Palam A Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Himachal Pradesh vs Uttarakhand, Elite Group D | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Manipur vs Vidarbha, Elite Group A | ADSA Railways Cricket Ground, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Baroda vs Puducherry, Elite Group D | Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Arunachal Pradesh vs Sikkim, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Meghalaya vs Hyderabad, Plate | Meghalaya Cricket Association Cricket Ground, Shillong | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Mizoram vs Nagaland, Plate | GS Patel Stadium, Nadiad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Madhya Pradesh vs Odisha, Elite Group D | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Maharashtra vs Jharkhand, Elite Group A | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Uttar Pradesh vs Bengal, Elite Group B | Green Park, Kanpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Jammu and Kashmir vs Delhi, Elite Group D | Hostel Ground JKCA, Jammu | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Mumbai vs Andhra, Elite Group B | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Assam vs Kerala, Elite Group B | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Bihar vs Chhattisgarh, Elite Group B | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Gujarat vs Karnataka, Elite Group C | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Saurashtra vs Haryana, Elite Group A | Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium C, Rajkot | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Punjab vs Railways, Elite Group C | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Tripura vs Tamil Nadu, Elite Group C | Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Agartala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 12 – Monday, January 15 | Goa vs Chandigarh, Elite Group C | Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, Porvorim | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Karnataka vs Goa, Elite Group C | Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar Ground, Mysore | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Punjab vs Tripura, Elite Group C | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Meghalaya vs Nagaland, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Hyderabad vs Sikkim, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Arunachal Pradesh vs Mizoram, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Uttar Pradesh vs Bihar, Elite Group B | Victoria Park Stadium, Meerut | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Kerala vs Mumbai, Elite Group B | St Xavier’s College Ground, Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Assam vs Andhra, Elite Group B | Jalan Outdoor Stadium, Dibrugarh | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Tamil Nadu vs Railways, Elite Group C | SNR College Cricket Ground, Coimbatore | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Vidarbha vs Saurashtra, Elite Group A | Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Chandigarh vs Gujarat, Elite Group C | Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Services vs Jharkhand, Elite Group A | Palam A Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Madhya Pradesh vs Delhi, Elite Group D | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Rajasthan vs Maharashtra, Elite Group A | Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Uttarakhand vs Puducherry, Elite Group D | Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Manipur vs Haryana, Elite Group A | ADSA Railways Cricket Ground, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Himachal Pradesh vs Baroda, Elite Group D | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Bengal vs Chhattisgarh, Elite Group B | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 19 – Monday, January 22 | Odisha vs Jammu and Kashmir, Elite Group D | DRIEMS Ground, Cuttack | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Puducherry vs Madhya Pradesh, Elite Group D | Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, Puducherry | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Haryana vs Maharashtra, Elite Group A | Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Delhi vs Uttarakhand, Elite Group D | Roshanara Club Ground, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Manipur vs Rajasthan, Elite Group A | Gujarat College Ground, Ahmedabad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Odisha vs Himachal Pradesh, Elite Group D | DRIEMS Ground, Cuttack | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Sikkim vs Nagaland, Plate | SICA ground, Rangpo | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Hyderabad vs Arunachal Pradesh, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Mizoram vs Meghalaya, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Jharkhand vs Vidarbha, Elite Group A | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Tamil Nadu vs Chandigarh, Elite Group C | SCF Cricket Ground, Salem | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Services vs Saurashtra, Elite Group A | Palam A Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Assam vs Bengal, Elite Group B | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Baroda vs Jammu and Kashmir, Elite Group D | Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Chhattisgarh vs Andhra, Elite Group B | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Mumbai vs Uttar Pradesh, Elite Group B | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Bihar vs Kerala, Elite Group B | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Tripura vs Karnataka, Elite Group C | Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Agartala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Goa vs Punjab, Elite Group C | Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, Porvorim | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, January 26 – Monday, January 29 | Railways vs Gujarat, Elite Group C | Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, Valsad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Bihar vs Andhra, Elite Group B | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Chhattisgarh vs Kerala, Elite Group B | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Uttar Pradesh vs Assam, Elite Group B | Green Park, Kanpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Railways vs Karnataka, Elite Group C | Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Chandigarh vs Punjab, Elite Group C | Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Nagaland vs Arunachal Pradesh, Plate | Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Sovima, Dimapur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Hyderabad vs Mizoram, Plate | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Sikkim vs Meghalaya, Plate | SICA ground, Rangpo | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Odisha vs Puducherry, Elite Group D | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Bengal vs Mumbai, Elite Group B | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Delhi vs Baroda, Elite Group D | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Goa vs Tamil Nadu, Elite Group C | Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, Porvorim | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Maharashtra vs Saurashtra, Elite Group A | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Gujarat vs Tripura, Elite Group C | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Jharkhand vs Manipur, Elite Group A | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Himachal Pradesh vs Madhya Pradesh, Elite Group D | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Rajasthan vs Vidarbha, Elite Group A | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Jammu and Kashmir vs Uttarakhand, Elite Group D | Hostel Ground JKCA, Jammu | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 2 – Monday, February 5 | Haryana vs Services, Elite Group A | Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Jharkhand vs Haryana, Elite Group A | Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Madhya Pradesh vs Baroda, Elite Group D | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Maharashtra vs Vidarbha, Elite Group A | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Odisha vs Uttarakhand, Elite Group D | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Manipur vs Services, Elite Group A | ADSA Railways Cricket Ground, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Himachal Pradesh vs Delhi, Elite Group D | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Chandigarh vs Tripura, Elite Group C | Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Rajasthan vs Saurashtra, Elite Group A | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Kerala vs Bengal, Elite Group B | St Xavier’s College Ground, Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Puducherry vs Jammu and Kashmir, Elite Group D | Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, Puducherry | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Andhra vs Uttar Pradesh, Elite Group B | Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Chhattisgarh vs Mumbai, Elite Group B | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Assam vs Bihar, Elite Group B | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka, Elite Group C | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Punjab vs Gujarat, Elite Group C | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Railways vs Goa, Elite Group C | Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Plate Semi Final 1 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 9 – Monday, February 12 | Plate Semi Final 2 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Bengal vs Bihar, Elite Group B | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Delhi vs Odisha, Elite Group D | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Andhra vs Kerala, Elite Group B | Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Mumbai vs Assam, Elite Group B | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Uttar Pradesh vs Chhattisgarh, Elite Group B | Green Park, Kanpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Karnataka vs Chandigarh, Elite Group C | KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground, Hubli | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Tamil Nadu vs Punjab, Elite Group C | SCF Cricket Ground, Salem | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Puducherry vs Himachal Pradesh, Elite Group D | Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, Puducherry | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Vidarbha vs Haryana, Elite Group A | Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Uttarakhand vs Baroda, Elite Group D | Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Services vs Maharashtra, Elite Group A | Palam A Stadium, Delhi | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Madhya Pradesh vs Jammu and Kashmir, Elite Group D | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Jharkhand vs Rajasthan, Elite Group A | Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Goa vs Gujarat, Elite Group C | Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, Porvorim | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Saurashtra vs Manipur, Elite Group A | Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium C, Rajkot | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 16 – Monday, February 19 | Tripura vs Railways, Elite Group C | Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Agartala | 9:30 AM |
| Saturday, February 17 – Wednesday, February 21 | Plate Group Final | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 23 – Tuesday, February 27 | Quarter-final 1 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 23 – Tuesday, February 27 | Quarter-final 2 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 23 – Tuesday, February 27 | Quarter-final 3 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Friday, February 23 – Tuesday, February 27 | Quarter-final 4 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Saturday, March 2 – Wednesday, March 6 | Semi-final 1 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Saturday, March 2 – Wednesday, March 6 | Semi-final 2 | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
| Sunday, March 10 – Thursday, March 14 | Ranji Trophy 2024 final | TBC, TBC | 9:30 AM |
As the cricketing fraternity eagerly awaits the commencement of the Ranji Trophy, fans can anticipate witnessing extraordinary talent, thrilling encounters, and the emergence of new cricketing heroes during this prestigious tournament. The battle for supremacy begins, and cricket aficionados can gear up for an exhilarating season of first-class cricket.