South Zone complete formalities

Karnatakas Vinay scalps four as Central Zone go down by 552 runs

Needing an improbable 770 runs to win the match, Central Zone were bundled out for 217 in their second innings on the fourth and final day of the match at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium.

Placed precariously at 73 for two overnight, Central Zone never seemed to be in the hunt and barring Naman Ojha (55) and Ashok Menaria, none of the visiting batsmen could offer any resistance.

Mohnish Mishra was the first Central Zone wicket to fall after adding just eight runs to his overnight score of 30. Mishra’s departure, however, came after he and Ojha combined for a 75-run stand for the fourth wicket.

After Ojha was bowled by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha following a breezy 67-ball knock that included nine boundaries and a six, the Central Zone innings also began to collapse although Menaria and Devendra Bundela (29) delayed the inevitable with their contributions.

Menaria’s was an entertaining knock that came off just 47 balls and was studded with five boundaries and four sixes.

But Vinay snapped up both Bundela and Menaria, and the lower half of the Central Zone batting failed to make any noteworthy contribution as South cruised to a comfortable win.

Central Zone were without key batsman Mohammad Kaif, who had retired hurt on Thursday.

SCORE BOARD

SOUTH ZONE (I Innings): 443 all out in 95.4 overs
CENTRAL ZONE (I Innings): 178 all out in 51 overs
SOUTH ZONE (II Innings): 504/7 decl in 100.3 overs
CENTRAL ZONE (II Innings, O/n: 73/2): Aakash Chopra c Uthappa b Arvind 8, Mohnish Mishra c Verma b Ojha 38, Hrishikesh Kanitkar c Verma b Arvind 0, Naman Ojha b Ojha 55, Devendra Bundela c Ojha b Vinay 29, Ashok Menaria c Gautam b Vinay 63, Rudra Pratap Singh c & b Vinay 5, Akshay Wakhare  c Mithun b Vinay 10, Pankaj Singh c Uthappa b Ojha 7, Umesh Yadav (not out) 0. Mohammad Kaif (absent hurt). Extras (LB-1, W-1) 2. Total (all out, 47.1 overs) 217.
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-19, 3-94, 4-113, 5-155, 6-167, 7-210, 8-217, 9-217.
Bowling: R Vinay Kumar 10.1-0-36-4, Abhimanyu Mithun 8-0-38-0, S Arvind 9-1-28-2, Pragyan Ojha 19-3-110-3, S Badrinath 1-0-4-0.