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South win with two balls to spare

Sridharan Sharath stole the limelight with a superb 113 off 135 balls as South Zone scored an exciting two-wicket victory over Central Zone in the Deodhar Trophy limited-overs cricket match at the Wankhede stadium in Bombay today.

The 27-year-old Tamil Nadu south paw hit 10 fours and two sixes in his hundred as South won with just two balls to spare.

Chasing Central's huge total of 272 for 4, Sharath put on a crucial 120-run stand with his captain Mohammad Azharuddin to lift South from a perilous 49 for three. South went on to win at 276 for eight in 49.4 overs.

Azharuddin displayed good touch as he scored 64 off 92 balls (four fours and a six) before being out in the 36th over with South still 104 runs away from victory. However, Sharath found an able ally in Reuben Paul (31 off 32 balls) and together they put on 78 runs to take the team closer to victory.

Earlier, put in to bat, Central were off to a flier when openers Jyoti Yadav (76 off 97 balls, 8 fours) and Gagan Khoda (69 off 100 balls, 8 fours) put on 147 runs. Then, Amay Khurasia (67 off 71 balls, 4 fours and 2 sixes) and Devendra Bundela (48 not out in 47 balls) led a late charge on the South bowling to help set up a formidable asking rate of 5.46 victory.

With this victory South swelled their points tally to four. They play North at Pune on Monday.

Central's title hopes were dashed with today's defeat.

Scoreboard