Duleep Trophy Highlights, Day 4, quarterfinals: Saurabh takes eight as Central wins by 170 runs vs East, North beats North East by 511 runs

Convinving wins for North and Central Zones as they march forward for their their next target, South Zone and West Zone, respectively in the semifinals of Duleep Trophy 2023. North East was no match for North whereas Central Zone performed better than East in all three departments. That is all from our side for the quarterfinal coverage, we will get back with all the live actions and updates of semifinal starting July 5. Till then follow Sportstar for all sports related news. Thank you!

Pulkit Narang takes his fourth to dismiss Dippu and with this, the North East second innings comes to an end . North etched North East out by a massive 511-run to make its way for the semifinal where they will meet South Zone.

Dippu 6 (14) c Rana b Pulkit

Captain Jayant Yadav strikes to get his first wicket of the innings. North East nine down and we are just moments away from the end of this match.

Imliwati 5 (13) c Pulkit b Yadav

North East resistance comes to an end. Five quick wickets fall in 10 overs. This match will end very soon.

- Ashwin Achal from Bengaluru

Jotin Pheiroijam is the eigth man down as North East is falling like a pack of cards here. Narang gets his third of the innings.

Jotin Pheiroijam 5 (5) c Prabhsimran b Pulkit

Wickets continues to tumble for North East as R Johnathan goes back after scoring 11 off 24. Sindhu gets his second scalp.

R Johnathan 11 (24) c Chopra b Sindhu

Pulkit Narang strikes two in the 38th over as North is just four wickets away from clinching a resounding victory over North East. Narang dismissed Palzor in the first delivery followed by wicket keeper P Prafullomani for a five-ball duck.

Palzor 40 (82) c Ankit b Pulkit; P Prafullomani 0 (5) c & b Pulkit

The day started brightly for North East. Tamang and Nilesh showed good application to stick around for an hour, until Nilesh was taken by surprise by an awkward delivery from left arm spinner Sindhu. Ball kicked up from length, Nilesh fended and was caught at second slip.

Former Karnataka player R. Johnathan at the crease. Johnathan looked nervous in the first innings.

N Lamichaney c Ankit b Sindhu 27 (64)

- Ashwin Achal from Bengaluru

8/64 -Saurabh Kumar registers his career-best First Class figures as Central Zone beats East Zone by 170 runs. They will meet West Zone at the same venue next week in the semifinal.

- Lalith Kalidas from Alur

All Out! Saurabh Kumar wrap things up with two wickets in two deliveries as Central Zone pocketed a convincing win in the end by 170 runs.

100 up for the North East Zone in the pursuit of 666! Palzor and Nilesh Lamichaney added 57 for the fifth wicket till now as North East is 566 away from the unattainable target.

He may have picked up six wickets but East no. 10 Akash Deep has smashed Saurabh Kumar for three sixes to move to 21 off 11 balls, the highest scorer in the innings so far.

Akash is dropped on 23 off Mavi by Yash Thakur at mid-off.

- Lalith Kalidas from Alur

No. 10 Akash Deep walks in and smacks two consecutive sixes off Saurabh. Central Zone 116/8.

WICKET!! Saurabh Kumar gets his sixth wicket as he knocks over Shahbaz Nadeem’s middle-stump. Seems like East will not last an hour this morning?

Shahbaz Nadeem 14(16) b Saurabh Kumar

Saurabh Kumar single-handedly winning the match for Central Zone. His current match figures are 15-3-40-5. 20th five-wicket haul for the left-armer from Uttar Pradesh.

WICKET!! 20th First Class five-wicket haul for Saurabh Kumar as Riyan Parag falls lbw for 14 in the fifth over of the day. Shahbaz Nadeem joins Murasingh at the crease.

Riyan Parag 14(31) lbw Saurabh Kumar

Riyan Parag and M Murasingh at the crease for East Zone needing 230 runs to win on the final day with only 4 wickets left. Crucial phase ahead for East Zone.

Palzor and Nilesh Lamichaney at the middle for North East, trying to delay the inevitable. North East need 608 runs to win.

First Innings :

North Zone - 540/8d (Nishant Sindhu 150, Dhruv Shorey 135, Harshit Rana 122)

North East Zone - 134/10 (Nilesh Lamichaney 44, S Kaul 3/16, Pulkit Narang 3/27)

Second Innings :

North Zone - 259/6d (Ankit Kumar 70, Prabhsimran 59, J Yadav 55)

North East Zone - 58/3 (Palzor 13*, Baltej Singh 1/11, Harshit Rana 1/19)

First Innings:

Central Zone - 182/10 (Rinku Singh 38, M Murasingh 5/42)

East Zone - 122/10 (Riyan Parag 33, M Murasingh 30, Avesh Khan 3/34, Saurabh Kumar 3/46)

Second Innings :

Central Zone - 239/10 (Himanshu Mantri 68, Vivek Singh 56, Ishan Porel 3/15, Shahbaz Ahmed 3/66)

East Zone - 69/6 (Saurabh Kumar 4/33)

Fine morning in Alur for Day 4 of the Duleep Trophy QF. Central Zone is just four wickets away from a semifinal spot. With 231 required, a win looks unlikely but Riyan Parag has the opportunity to do something special for East Zone.

- Lalith Kalidas from Alur

North Zone ruthlessly drove North East Zone to the ground on the penultimate day of their Duleep Trophy quarterfinal at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday.

North came out firing in the morning session to dismiss North East Zone for 134. Despite sitting on a mammoth 406-run inning lead, North decided not to enforce the follow-on.

With a spot in the semifinal guaranteed, North had no intention of forcing an early outright win. It was the perfect platform for the batters to pile on the runs and reach personal milestones, against a demoralised North East unit.

Check out the full report here - READ

- Ashwin Achal

Central Zone kept its head above water on day three of a see-sawing Duleep Trophy quarterfinal against East Zone at the Alur (I) Cricket Ground in Bengaluru on Friday.

After failing to build on the rearguard of its openers amidst three fiery spells from Ishan Porel, Central surrendered its second-innings at 239. It effectively set up a 300-run target for the opposition before Saurabh Kumar (four for 33) gnawed at the East top-order, leaving it rattled on 69 for six at stumps.

Check out the full report here - READ

- Lalith Kalidas

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of last day of the Duleep Trophy 2023 quarterfinals played between Central Zone and East Zone at Alur (I) Cricket Ground and North Zone vs North East Zone at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Stay tuned as we bring you all the updates right from the venue!