East Zone on top after Zimbabweans collapse

The two Das', Arindam (51) and Shiv Sunder (50), took East Zone to the commanding position of 108 for no loss at stumps, just 48 runs behind the Zimbabwe President's XI, after Ranadeb Bose (5 for 28) and Shib Paul (3 for 39) combined to dismiss them for just 156 at Mumbai. Put into bat by Sourav Ganguly, the Zimbabweans were extremely slow in getting off the blocks as Paul and Bose bowled a nagging line and choked the scoring rate.

Saurashish Lahiri struck first over to dismiss Terry Duffin for 13, and though Neil Ferreira and Hamilton Mazakadza offered brief resistance, Bose returned to rock the middle order. Only a late- order counterattack from Waddington Mwayenga (42), the No.11, saw the tourists cross 150.

West Zone were 104 for 2 at stumps after Zaheer Khan (6 for 54) produced a fine spell of fast bowling to dismiss Central for 206 on the first day of their four-day match at Aurangabad. Khan had Sanjay Bangar caught by Dhiraj Jadhav for just 6 early in the day, and then returned to take five quick wickets as Central slipped from 168 for 4 to 206 allout. Only Mohammad Kaif, Central's captain, with 56 and Abbas Ali with 45 offered any resistance. Ramesh Powar, the allrounder from Mumbai, chipped in with three vital wickets to aid his team's cause.

Despite the loss of Jadhav and Satyajit Parab with only 38 on the board, West have put themselves in a good position thanks to a 66-run stand between the not-out batsmen, Wasim Jaffer (58) and Jacob Martin (19).