Harshal Patel returned with a match-haul of seven wickets to enable Haryana thrash Tripura by 119 runs and qualify for the Ranji Trophy cricket quarterfinals for the first time since 2011-12.
Resuming on 186 for four, Haryana declared their second innings at 261 for nine just before lunch to set a target of 315 runs for Tripura.
Chasing a massive target, Tripura put up yet another sloppy batting display to be bundled out for 195, less than half an hour after tea to suffer the loss with a day to spare.
The former Royal Challengers Bangalore medium pacer Harshal Patel (2/33) rocked the top order in his twin bursts from his first two overs, even as the four-seam Haryana attack accounted for nine wickets, while one was a run out.
Skipper Mohit Sharma (2/50), Joginder Sharma (2/24) and Sanjay Pahal (3/47) joined in the act to reduce them to 65/7 and it seemed that they would fold inside tea.
But the eighth wicket pair of Gurinder Singh (62) and skipper Manisankar Murasingh (60) who put on 119 runs to delay the inevitable.
Pahal dismissed Gurinder in the fourth over after tea to trigger the collapse before claiming his third victim in Murasingh to bundle them out in 40.4 overs.
The 26-year-old Patel, who had also contributed with a cameo of 26 in a significant 66-run last wicket partnership with Mohit Sharma (39 not out) in the first innings, returned with a match haul seven for 60 to be adjudged man-of-the-match.
Maharashtra crash out
Mohali: Maharashtra's chance of securing a quarter-final berth was crushed as they were handed a 10-wicket thrashing by Karnataka on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match here.
Having taken a 182-run first-innings lead, Karnataka bowled out Maharashtra for 218 in the second innings, which left them to chase just 37 runs for victory.
Karnataka openers — R Samarth and Kaunain Abbas — achieved the target without much fuss to secure a bonus point victory. This was Karnataka's fifth win this season.
Earlier, resuming on 313 for nine in their first innings, Karnataka folded for 345 in reply to Maharashtra's modest first essay total of 163, thereby taking a huge lead.
Karnataka medium pacer David Mathias (3/37), originally not picked in the playing XI but drafted in late as a replacement for Manish Pandey, then picked up three crucial wickets, including that of Kedar Jadhav, who top scored with 85 off just 59 balls that included 10 fours and two sixes.
Abhimanyu Mithun, who bowled just two deliveries in the first innings before going off the field, returned to take two for 44.
Karnataka will now have to wait for the result of the Jharkhand-Odisha match on December 15 to find out if they finish Group B as the toppers.
Delhi in trouble
Vadodara: Delhi's chances of a quarter-final berth was hanging by a thread after Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan failed to deliver once again as their side lost four wickets for 109 runs while chasing 276 for a win on the third day of their Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra here on Friday.
Delhi now need 174 more runs on the final day on Saturday with six second innings wickets in hand to keep their qualification hopes from Group B alive.