Fine bowling by left-arm spinner Anup Dave (5 for 33) propelled Central Zone to a 51-run victory over a strong North Zone in the Deodhar Trophy limited-overs match, at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, on Friday.

Winning the toss, Central batted first and posted 250 before bowling out North for 199 in 43.3 overs.

North were docked two overs for slow bowling and fined 15 per cent of their match fee.

For Central, who had lost their first match against South, this was their first win.

The North innings crumbled against Dave's spin, and only India opener Akash Chopra (50), skipper Ajay Jadeja (44) and Mithun Manhas (35) offered resistance.

Central medium pacer Sumit Mathur (2/30) dealt a double blow when he clean bowled opener Gautam Gambhir and Dinesh Mongia before they could open their account.

Chopra held one end up, facing 90 balls and hitting three fours, as he and Manhas added 71 runs for the third wicket.

Jadeja and Chopra added another 65 runs for the fourth wicket before the latter became Dave's first victim.

Earlier, a skipper's knock of 76 by opener Gagan Khoda and J P Yadav (62, 5x4, 6x1) helped Central to make 250 in the allotted 50 overs.

Khoda and the other opener, Tejinder Pal Singh (39), put on 91 for the first wicket before the latter was run out. Khoda and Yadav then added 77 for the third wicket to boost the total.

Scoreboard

Central Zone
T P Singh run out 39
G Khoda run out 76
N Ojha c A Ratra b A Mishra 1
J P Yadav c A Chopra b S Gill 62
A Ali st. A Ratra b A Mishra 1
D Bundela run out 8
N Chopra c G Gambhir b M Minhas 17
A Dave run out 11
C S Atram not out 5
R Mishra c G Gambhir b D Mongia 0
S Mathur b D Mongia 2

Extras: (b-5, lb-4, nb-12, w-7) 28

Total: (all out in 50 overs) 250

Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-92, 3-169, 4-182, 5-206, 6-209, 7-241, 8-246, 9-247

Bowling: A Uniyal 10-0-51-0, S Gill 10-0-41-1, R S Sodhi 5-0-22-0, S Singh 9-0-67-0, A Mishra 9-1-36-2, M Manhas 2-0-9-1, D Mongia 5-0-15-2.

North Zone
A Chopra c Mathur b Dave 50
G Gambhir b Mathur 0
D Mongia b Mathur 0
M Minhas run out 35
A Jadeja c T P Singh b Dave 44
R S Sodhi run out 1
A Ratra st Ojha b Dave 1
A Uniyal c A Ali b Dave 8
S Singh c Ojha b Yadav 15
A Mishra not out 10
S Gill c T P Singh b Dave 11

Extras: (lb-2, nb-4, w-18) 24

Total: (all out in 43.3 overs) 199

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-2, 3-73, 4-138, 5-141, 6-142, 7-162, 8-162, 9-188

Bowling: S Mathur 6-0-30-2; C S Atram 5-0-27-0; J P Yadav 8-1-32-1; N Chopra 8-0-34-0; R Mishra 4-0-17-0; A Ali 6-0-24-0; A Dave 6.3-0-33-5.