Hosts Saurashtra adopted defensive tactics to finish the day at 327 for 8 in their second innings in a bid to utilise their first innings lead over Madhya Pradesh to move into the Ranji Trophy Plate division final.
On the fourth day of the semi-final, at the Madhavrao Scindia cricket ground in Rajkot on Saturday, Saurashtra resumed at their overnight total of 159 for 3 and added only 168 runs for
the loss of five wickets to deny their opponents any chance of comeback.
Prashant Joshi 71 (267b,11x4s), the top-scorer of the innings so far, added 106 runs for the fourth wicket with Makwana.
When stumps were drawn, Shitanshu Kotak was batting on 17 (81b,1x4) with Sandip Jobanputra (4) giving him company.
For Madya Pradesh, right-arm leg-spinner Yogesh Golwalkar was the most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 83 runs.
Medium pacer T Sudhendra took 3 for 63.
The hosts are now 348 runs ahead with the final day's play remaining.
Scorecard
Saurashtra (1st innings): 296
Madhya Pradesh (1st innings): 275
Saurashtra (2nd innings): (overnight 159 for 3)
Kanaiya Vaghela b Golwalkar 54
Sagar Jogiyani c Ozha b Sudhendra 80
Prashant Joshi lbw Sudhendra 71
Feroz Bambhania b Golwalkar 4
Kamlesh Makwana c Ozha b A Rajan 33
Shitanshu Kotak not out 17
Jaydev Shah c A Rajan b Golwalkar 2
Benson Songaonkar b Golwalkar 7
Rakesh Dhruv b Sudhendra 27
Sandip Jobanputra not out 4
Extras: (lb-9, nb-16, b-2, w-1) 28
Total: (for 8 wickets in 154 overs): 327
Fall of wickets: 1-127, 2-146, 3-157, 4-263, 5-270, 6-273, 7-284, 8-322.
Bowling: Sanjay Pandey 27-3-74-0, T Sudhendra 29-12-63-3, Anand Rajan 30-13-62-1, Abbas Ali 10-4-25-0, Devendra Bundela 9-5-9-0, Yogesh Golwalkar 46-19-83-4, Brajesh Tomar 3-3-0-0.
