A fine bowling performance put North Zone in sight of victory against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy cricket match at the Devi Lal stadium at Gurgaon on Monday.
After bowling out Central for 211 in the second innings, North were two for no loss at close on the third and penultimate day.
Test opener Aakash Chopra was batting on two with Gautam Gambhir yet to open his account.
That left the hosts needing another 115 runs to win with a full day's remaining to clinch a crucial win.
Resuming at 22 for no loss, Central were soon in doldrums after losing half their side for 86.
Delhi pacer Amit Bhandari (3-56) and Haryana's Joginder Sharma (3-43) ransacked the Central top order whose batsmen were found wanting in application on a pitch that was keeping low in bounce.
Vineet Saxena (51) and Naman Ojha (35) then gave some respectability to Central's total through a 61-run association for the sixth wicket.
But Vishal Bhatia gave North the vital breakthrough by having Ojha caught by Gambhir.
Earlier, Gagandeep Singh (3-19) struck in the very first over of the day, breaking through the defence of Test cricketer Sanjay Bangar (16).
Bhandari then combined with wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra to send back Central skipper Gagan Khoda (11) and Uttar Pradesh batsman Rohit Prakash (9) in the space of four overs.
Sharma then struck his first blow when he bowled Devendra Bundela.
J P Yadav (20) had a reprieve when Ratra failed to hold on to a catch off Sarandeep Singh but the Railways all-rounder failed to make the most of it and was soon out leg before to Sharma.
Saxena and Ojha defied the North bowlers for more than two hours when they faced 32 overs before Ojha fell to Bhatia.
The end thereafter was predictable although it came at a melodramatic pace, as the last four wickets consumed another 30 overs.
Scoreboard:
Central Zone 1st innings: 154
North Zone 1st innings: 249
Central Zone 2nd innings:
S Bangar b Gagandeep Singh 16
G Khoda c ratra b Bhndari 11
R Prakash c Ratra b Bhandari 9
D Bundela b Joginder Sharma 9
J P Yadav LBW b Joginder Sharma 20
V Saxena b Gagandeep Singh 51
N Ojha c Gambhir b Bhatia 35
M Kartik LBW b Joginder Sharma 11
K Parida c Ratra b Bhandari 2
S Pandey b Gagandeep Singh 11
N Hirwani not out 4
Extras: (b-22, lb-9, w-1) 32
Total: (all out in 93.1 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-31, 3-44, 4-79, 5-86, 6-147, 7-171, 8-180, 9-206.
Bowling: Amit Bhandari 23-5-56-3, Gagandeep Singh 17.1-7-19-3, Joginder Sharma 24-7-43-3, Sarandeep Singh 19-3-47-0, Vishal Bhatia 9-5-15-1, Dinesh Mongia 1-1-0-0.
North Zone 2nd innings:
A Chopra not out 2
G Gambhir not out 0
Total: (for no loss in 1 over) 2
Bowling: J P Yadav 1-0-2-0.
