North Zone get a shot at glory

Mobile phones have been put to full use in this year's domestic competitions around the country. The last two rounds of the league phase of the Ranji Trophy turned out to be climactic and several teams were left depending on other results to qualify for the knock-out stage. The most dramatic scenes took place in Bangalore and Vishakapatnam on the last day of the matches when the Railways players huddled around a mobile phone for nearly three hours and received ball-by-ball updates from the Gujarat v Andhra game at Vishakapatnam. Gujarat couldn't force a win and Railways sneaked through to the last-four stage.

The venues and teams may be different tomorrow, but the final day of the Deodhar Trophy one-day tournament promises to be as riveting. North Zone take on South at Valsad while West clash with Central at Rajkot. A victory for North would seal the issue and give them their 10th Deodhar Trophy title, the most by any team since its inception in 1973. With the high-voltage line-up - in their previous game they fielded nine players with international experience - including Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, North would be favourites to upstage an inconsistent South Zone team that has blown hot and cold in their last three games.

South managed to pull off two narrow triumphs in the first and third games but plummeted to a crushing loss against West Zone at Mumbai in between. VVS Laxman, their captain, hasn't produced a matchwinning knock yet and unlike North Zone, their bowling has lacked the firepower to blast sides out. After capsizing in the second game for just 107, South found the right balance in the third, when they overcame East, and gave themselves a chance of claiming the title. For that, though, they would need West Zone to slip up at Rajkot.

After bulldozing their way to emphatic victories in the first two games, both at Mumbai, West Zone botched a great chance to seal the title in the last game against North. Chasing 289, they were on track with 101 for 1 before a middle-order collapse hurtled them to a big defeat, which included conceding a bonus point. Their opponents, Central Zone, may not be in the best of spirits, after being knocked out of the tournament in the last game despite posting 348, but their batting brigade, including Mohammad Kaif and the talented 18-year-old Suresh Raina, might just opt for a blazing exit.

North start favourites, West will look to pounce at the slightest opportunity while South will attempt to sneak in through the back door. It set up an intriguing final day.