East Zone strike early after setting 238

A century from Saurabh Tiwary and a career-best 99 from Sudip Chatterjee helped East Zone set West Zone a competitive target of 238 in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final. West Zone had five overs to see out on the penultimate day, but were not able to do so without suffering a loss: Vijay Zol was out in the final over, with the score on 12.

West had begun the day batting as well, on 321 for 9. It took East all of four balls to wrap up the innings, on 322. East's innings did not begin well, with seamer Dhawal Kulkarni removing both openers cheaply. They crawled to 36 for 3 in 18th over, with first-innings centurion Manoj Tiwary also going cheaply.

However, a big and brisk fourth-wicket stand between Saurabh and Chatterjee meant the innings was pulled back on track. The pair added 181 at over four to the over, but Chatterjee was run out a heartbreaking one run short of a maiden first-class century. Saurabh went on to get his ton, but there was little else of note from the rest of the order.

Manoj Tiwary declared the innings on 281 for 7, with a view to get a crack at the West Zone batsmen with stumps looming, and the move paid off with Zol's early exit.