BANGALORE, DEC 9: Bad light halted play on the third day of the five-day Duleep Trophy semifinal tie between defending champions Central Zone and East Zone at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Tuesday.

Overnight showers delayed the start and the umpires R Nagarajan (Goa) and S K Sharma (Mumbai), after four inspections, decided to start the match at 4 p.m.

East, resuming at the overnight 30 for no loss, lost S S Das (16). But barely 40 minutes after the match started, bastmen Nikhil Haldipur and Debang Gandhi complained of bad light and the umpires upheld the appeal.

Haldipur (27) and Debang (13) were at the crease when play was called off.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.