Madhya Pradesh gain handy lead despite Zaidi's efforts

Madhya Pradesh took a 140 run first innings lead over Uttar Pradesh on the second day of their Central Zone Ranji Trophy clash at the Green Park in Kanpur on Friday. After bowling out Madhya Pradesh for 283, Uttar Pradesh were 12 without loss from six overs in their second innings at stumps.

Useful knocks by Harvinder Sodhi and Nikhil Patwardhan were the feature of MP's innings after they resumed on 121/3 this morning. UP's left arm paceman Shalabh Sriwastava struck for the third time when he had Devendra Bundela leg before on his overnight score of 39. Sodhi (57) and Patwardhan (49) added 82 for the fifth wicket before the latter was dismissed leg before by Aashish Zaidi at 204.

It was the first of four wickets in a row for Zaidi, including the ones of Sodhi and 39 year old skipper Chandrakant Pandit. The third seamer in the attack, Mrityunjay Tripathy, mopped up the tail by trapping the last two men in front. MP were bowled out in the 121st over, Zaidi finishing with 4/89. Five of the ten victims were leg before. UP openers Nasir Ali and Jyoti Yadav played out the remaining 26 minutes without mishap, the hosts needing another 128 to make their opponents bat again.