Championing UP's cause on the fourth day was their skipper Gyanendra Pandey. He defied a spirited fightback from the opposition to guide the team past the 130-run victory post. The 26-year-old Pandey raised UP's historic success in style hoisting left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni for a six over mid-wicket to return unconquered on 45 (90b, 134m, 5x4, 2x6). UP thus sprung a coup by taming one of the famed state teams on their home territory. The foundations of a stunner were laid on day one itself when Mumbai were shot out for a paltry 94. A ticket to the final for the second time in the 63-year history of the National Championship of cricket was the reward from theircampaign in the megapolis.

If the UP honours rested with Pandey, Mumbai's field marshal was Nilesh Kulkarni (4-46). The lanky spinner had set off the alarms in the UP camp by claiming three wickets off 34 balls. Beginning the day at 26 for two, UP were in a quagmire at 71-5, the last three wickets falling for the addition of 12 runs. And had Nilesh latched on to Rahul Sapru's lofted sweep off left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar, it would have given a new twist to the pulsating contest.

However, Sapru (14), the senior-most member of the side, survived the scare when he was on 6 (team score 87) to keep the Mumbai attack at bay. With Pandey, he grafted a 49-run association to wrest the initiative.

Still, Mumbai's gallant efforts ensured that it was going to be a struggle for UP to breast the tape. Nilesh Kulkarni claimed Sapru, ten runs adrift of the target, and Pawar followed it up by sending back Manoj Mudgal (4). All-rounder Mohammad Saif, who walked in with five more runs needed for victory, batted sensiblybefore Pandey sealed it with a superb six.

Earlier, the day had opened to a flurry of activity when paceman Abey Kuruvilla trapped Rizwan Shamshad plumb on the backfoot with the first delivery of the day. However, umpire Francis Gomes from Calcutta, stunned the Mumbai team crying hoarse by negating the appeal. Gomes, doing duty in a knockout match of the National event for the first time, did no justice to his stature later when he adjudged a Paras Mhambrey regulation out-swinger wide.

Gomes' gaffe came during a period when Mhambrey and Nilesh Kulkarni had put the UP batsmen Pandey and Sapru in a spot with their disciplined bowling. Mhambrey's efforts complemented his second spell figures which read: 5-3-2-0.

The strangulated exerted by Mumbai gave way when an indisposed Sairaj Bahutule was introduced. The leg-spinner was carted for 11 runs by Pandey, who clouted a six and a four in succession, which also set up UP's three-figure mark in the second essay.

Thereafter, it was just a matter of timebefore UP achieved the inevitable.UP will now face the winners of the ongoing semi-final between Karnataka and Hyderabad in the summit clash.

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai (1st innings): 94

Uttar Pradesh (1st innings): 293

Mumbai (2nd innings): 328

Uttar Pradesh (2nd innings; overnight 26-2): Rakesh Sharma c More b Kuruvilla 0, Jyoti Yadav st Sulakshan Kulkarni b Nilesh Kulkarni 22, Saurabh Shukla c Muzumdar b Pawar 13, Rizwan Shamsad c&b Nilesh Kulkarni 25, Mohammad Kaif c Pagnis b Nilesh Kulkarni 1, Gyanendra Pandey not out 45, Rahul Sapru c More b Nilesh Kulkarni 14, Manoj Mudgal st Sulakshan Kulkarni b Pawar 4, Mohammad Saif not out 3;

Extras (lb2, wb1, nb5): 8.

Total (for 7 wkts in 60.2 overs, 277 mins): 135

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-22, 3-59, 4-61, 5-71, 6-120, 7-125

Bowling: Kuruvilla 8-3-15-1 (nb4), Mhambrey 12-7-12-0 (w1), Nilesh Kulkarni 23.2-10-46-4, Pawar 15-1-48-2, Bahutule 2-0-12-0

Result: UP won by three wickets