Spinners Amit Mishra and Sarandeep Singh spun out Zimbabwe President's XI for 257 in the second innings to help North Zone win by an innings and seven runs inside three days in their Duleep Trophy league tie in Mumbai on Saturday.
Leg spinner Mishra bagged 4 for 74 and off spinner Sarandeep Singh grabbed 3 for 79 as Zimbabwe XI, resuming at the overnight score of 50 for one after having conceded a huge 264-run first innings lead, were dismissed 19 minutes before tea on the penultimate day of the match.
Zimbabwe, who were shot out for 94 in the first essay to which North replied with 358 to take a handy lead, put up a much better display in the second innings but it was not good enough to prevent an innings defeat.
The highlight of the Zimbabwe second innings was a blistering knock of 73 from just 90 balls by lower order batsman Charles Coventry who slammed ten boundaries in his 107-minute stay at the wicket to keep his team in the fight after the top order had disintegrated.
He shared in a 70-run stand for the eighth wicket with pace bowler Blessing Mahwire, who made 32 with the help of four boundaries, before being castled by Mishra, who teased the batsmen by his willingness to flight the ball and the considerable turn he got from the helpful pitch.
North got a bonus point for their victory and ended their engagement in the three-team league with five points. They await the last group clash between East Zone, who had beaten them outright at Rajkot, and Zimbabwe which is scheduled to be held at the CCI in Mumbai from November 4-7.
Scoreboard:
Zimbabwe XI first innings: 94
North Zone first innings: 258
Zimbabwe XI second innings: (overnight 50-1)
T Duffin b Joginder Sharma 16
N Ferreira c Sangram Singh b Sarandeep Singh 7
V Sibanda lbw Gagandeep Singh 23
H Masakadza c Ricky b Sarandeep Singh 52
D Ebrahim run out 12
B Taylor c Mishra b Sarandeep Singh 10
C Coventry b Mishra 73
P Utseya c Dhawan b Mishra 4
B Mahwire not out 32
G Cremer lbw Mishra 1
A Ireland c Yashpal Singh b Mishra 2
Extras (b 7, lb 7, nb 11) 25
Total (all out in 79.1 overs) 257
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-58, 3-90, 4-116, 5-126, 6-156, 7-163, 8-233, 9-235.
Bowling: Joginder Sharma 10-5-59-1, Bhandari 4-1-15-0, Sarandeep Singh 24-5-79-3, Mishra 27.1-5-74-4, Gagandeep Singh 6-2-16-1.
