AHMEDABAD, Dec 2: Right arm leg spinner Mandar Sane's career best haul of six wickets for 58 runs firmly put Maharashtra on the victory trail against Gujarat who were forced to follow after lunch on the third day of the West Zone Ranji Trophy League match at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera here on Tuesday.

Gujarat facing Maharashtra's first innings total of 367 fell to the guiles of and were bundled out four runs.short of facing the follow-on.The hosts were up against the wall having lost two wickets for 73 runs in their second essay. Niraj Patel (20) and skipper Mukund Parmar were holding fort at close.

Only number nine batsman all-rounder Hiren Patel and earlier Tejas Varsani defied the rivals after Gujarat had begun the day from the overnight score of 88-3. Varsani made a breezy 40 including a huge six and four boundries.Gujarat needing 218 to avoid follow on were all out for 214, 55 minutes after lunch.

SCOREBOARD

Maharashtra (1st innings): 367.

Gujarat (1st innings; overnight 88-3): N Modi lbw Kulkarni 25, P Patel lbw Kulkarni 4, N Patel c Bhave b Sane 26, M Parmar lbw Kulkarni 21, T Varsani c Sugwekar b Sane 40, K Patdiwala c Kondhalkar b Sane 10, A Kotecha b Sane 18, B Mehta c Godbole b Sane 12, H Patel c&b Kamtekar 47, B Patel b Sane 1, J Patel not out 0; Extras: (4lb, 1w, 5nb) 10. Total: (all out in 103.2 overs) 214.

Fall of wickets: 4-110, 5-131, 6-144, 7-162, 8-185, 9-189.

Bowling: Kulkarni 20-5-51-3, Inamdar 7-1-18-0, Kamtekar 22.2-8-32-1, Kanitkar 18-6-28-0, Sane 26-7-58-6, Gawli 9-2-19-0, Sugwekar 1-0-4-0.

Gujarat (2nd innings): A Kotecha c Bhave b Kamtekar 30, N Modi lbw Sane 11, N Patel batting 20, M Parmar batting 5; Extras: (6b, 1lb) 7. Total: (for 2 wkts in 42 overs) 73.

Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-48.

Bowling: Kulkarni 5-0-15-0, Inamdar 3-2-2-0, Kamtekar 15-6-13-1, Sane 13-4-29-1, Gawli 6-2-8-0.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.