By picking up a third successive bonus point, Central took their tally to 15 from three matches. Their closest contenders are West Zone, who have nine points from three games. Even if West win their last match against South with a bonus point and Central lose to East and pick up a minus point, both will be locked on 14 points, and Central will be declared champions by virtue of having defeated West in their head-to-head clash.

South’s much vaunted batting line-up came a cropper as they were bowled out for 163 by a Central attack minus pace spearhead Rudra Pratap Singh, rested on the advice of the national selectors, and injured left-arm spinner Murali Kartik. Minus VVS Laxman, nursing an injured finger, South’s batsmen didn’t show the determination or the application required to post a big total, Rahul Dravid the notable exception with a measured half-century.

Chawla strikes
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and medium-pacer Rajesh Kanojia (3/29) made the most of the customary brilliant start provided by swing bowler Praveen Kumar, who shot out the Karnataka opening duo of Bharath Chipli and Robin Uthappa in his first spell.

Kanojia got into the act, getting rid of skipper S Badrinath and Dinesh Kaarthick, as South collapsed to 41 for four. Dravid and Arjun Yadav (41), who had strung together a useful association during last week’s defeat at the hands of East Zone here, again put on 56 for the fifth wicket, but once Dravid was dismissed, the South batting caved in meekly.

Dravid followed up his blistering century of last week with a solid 70-ball 51, but Chawla ran rings around the lower order to finish with three for 47.

Opener Faiz Fazal made a patient 95-ball 58 as Central set out in quest of 164 for victory, and the title. Then, Chawla rounded off an excellent game with an undefeated 33 and Rohit Sharma hastened the end with two fours and two sixes in a ten-ball 21.

SOUTH ZONE: Bharath Chipli c Chawla b Praveen 3, Robin Uthappa c Raina b Praveen 1, Rahul Dravid c Sandeep b Gupta 51, S Badrinath c Praveen b Kanojia 9, Dinesh Kaarthick c Praveen b Kanojia 0, Arjun Yadav c Ojha b Kanojia 45, C Raghu b Chawla 2, R Vinay Kumar b Chawla 3, Saurabh Bandekar c Ojha b Chawla 20, D Kalyankrishna (not out) 15, Pragyan Ojha c Sandeep b Raina 5. Extras (B-3, LB-2, W-4) 9. Total (all out, 46.4 overs) 163.

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-17, 3-35, 4-41, 5-97, 6-105, 7-120, 8-122, 9-148.

Bowling: Praveen Kumar 9-2-11-2, Sandeep Singh 9-0-27-0, Rajesh Kanojia 8.2-1-29-3, Praveen Gupta 9-0-42-1, Piyush Chawla 10-0-47-3, Suresh Raina 1.2-0-2-1.

CENTRAL ZONE: Faiz Fazal c Ojha b Badrinath 58, Naman Ojha c Kaarthick b Kalyankrishna 29, Suresh Raina c Badrinath b Vinay 2, Mohammad Kaif c Yadav b Ojha 16, Himalaya Sagar st Kaarthick b Ojha 2, Piyush Chawla (not out) 33, Rohit Sharma (not out) 21. Extras (LB-2, W-1) 3. Total (for 5 wkts, 36.3 overs) 164.

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-52, 3-88, 4-99, 5-140.

Bowling: R Vinay Kumar 9.3-1-41-1, Saurabh Bandekar 4-0-25-0, D Kalyankrishna 5-0-26-1, Pragyan Ojha 9-1-24-2, C Raghu 7-1-29-0, S Badrinath 2-0-17-1.