West take vital first innings lead

West Zone took a vital 158-run first innings lead after dismissing North Zone for 238 runs on the penultimate day of the four-day Duleep Trophy match in Pune on Thursday.

West declared their second innings on 273 for nine, 40 minutes before close, setting North an outright victory target of 432 runs.

In reply, North were 54 for no loss, with openers Akash Chopra (25) and Vikram Rathore (26) at the crease.

Earlier, opener Wasim Jaffer, selected for the West Indies tour, again displayed excellent touch, scoring 58 runs, off 84 balls, with nine fours, while Nayan Mongia slammed 76 runs, which included two sixes and 11 hits to the fence.

Captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar also made a useful contribution of 45 off 97 balls, studded with eight fours.

However, first innings centurian Sairaj Bahutule could manage just one run in the second essay.

For North, seamer Ashish Nehra was the most successful bowler, bagging four wickets. Off-spinner Sarandeep Singh took two wickets while R Sanghvi and M Manhas chipped in with one each.

Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 231 for eight, North were bundled out for the addition of just seven runs.

East Zone take lead over Central

Yere Goud's unbeaten 125 went in vain as East Zone bowled out Central Zone for 314 in their first innings to take a vital 51-run first innings lead on the third day of the four-day Duleep Trophy league match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.

East were 102 for two in their second innings at draw of stumps, giving them an overall lead of 153, with Rashmi Ranjan Parida batting on 53 and skipper Sanjay Raul on 32.

East lost two quick wickets when both the openers, Shiv Sunder Das (6) and Deep Dasgupta (8), selected to tour West Indies, fell cheaply.

Earlier, resuming at 136 for 5, Central's innings ended at the stroke of an extended tea session.

Overnight not out batsman Goud fought a lone battle as rookie pacer Mark Ingty (3/57) got rid of Raja Ali (11) while Harvinder Singh (11) was scalped by Ajay Barik as the visitors were reduced to 169 for seven early in the morning.

They were soon reduced to 206 for eight when Kulamani Parida edged an L R Shukla delivery to Deep Dasgupta.

When Sanjay Pande (2) left soon after lunch it looked all over for Central with only 219 runs on board. But a 95-run last-wicket stand between Goud and Narendra Hirwani (38) raised hopes of a recovery for the visiting team.

Ingty finally managed to break the partnership when he dismissed Hirwani to put East in the driver's seat.

Mail Cricket Editor