IN FULL FLOW: Yashpal Singh struck a fluent 77 to put North Zone in the driver's seat against Sri Lanka `A'. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

KOLKATA: North Zone continued to plunder runs at will on the third day of the five-day Duleep Trophy final against Sri Lanka `A' at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday. The visitor was made to toil for the second consecutive day with the North middle-order collecting some useful runs ahead of the season. At stumps, Mahesh Rawat was unbeaten on 96 and Gagandeep Singh was batting on 1.

The pitch was placid throughout the day. As the day wore on it offered slow turn as well. This enabled Sri Lanka `A's left-arm spinner Rangana Herath to pick up two quick wickets in the last session of the day.

He should have had Rawat as well on the last ball of the day but failed to hold on to a low return catch.

Massive total

Resuming at the overnight score of 321 for two, North reached a massive 627 for seven for a comfortable lead of 331. North should declare the innings once Rawat gets his century on Wednesday morning. A happy looking North skipper, Mithun Manhas, told reporters after the day's play that he would try and force a decision in this match.

"It will be a real challenge for our bowlers to dismiss the visitor in its second innings. We will go out with a positive frame of mind and try and see how well our bowlers can do the job,'' he said. While admitting that his team was short on spinners to exploit the fourth day pitch, he said he would not hesitate to bowl spin, if required.

Manhas himself was the first to leave on Tuesday morning without adding to his overnight score falling leg before to Amarasinghe. Yashpal Singh and Aakash Chopra added 88 runs for the fourth wicket before Chopra, looking to get a double hundred, offered no stroke to a straighter one from Herath to be adjudged leg before. His 188 came in three minutes short of 10 hours with the aid of 26 shots to the fence.

Good partnerships

Singh and Rawat added a further 79 runs for the fifth wicket before Singh was adjudged leg before to Jehan Mubarak for 77 (156m, 236b, 7x4). The sixth wicket also produced a good partnership with two Haryana players, Joginder Sharma and Rawat, putting a tired Sri Lankan attack to sword.

Sharma, who has back-to-back centuries against Central and East in this tournament, played some bold shots and dominated the 124-run partnership. Just as it looked that he would get his third century on the trot, Sharma was taken at extra-covers by Chamara Silva off Herath for a stroke-filled 72 (116m 90b, 7x4, 6x1). Four runs later Sachin Rana fell.

The scores: Sri Lanka `A' — 1st innings: 296.

North Zone — 1st innings: A. Chopra lbw b Herath 188, G. Gambhir b Amarasinghe 7, R. Ricky c Samaraweera b Amarasinghe 122, M. Manhas lbw b Amarasinghe 29, Y. Singh lbw b Mubarak 77, M. Rawat (batting) 96, J. Sharma c C. Silva b Herath 72, S. Rana c C. Silva b Herath 0, G. Singh (batting) 1; Extras: (b-6, lb-12, w-2, nb-15): 35; Total: (for seven wkts, 189 overs): 627.

Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-265, 3-323, 4-411, 5-490, 6-614, 7-618.

Sri Lanka `A' bowling: Ganegama 31-6-104-0, Prasad 29-3-116-0, Amarasinghe 36-2-115-3, Herath 65-13-201-3, Mubarak 15-1-34-1, Silva 10-0-29-0, Samaraweera 3-0-10-0.

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