Baroda restricted Punjab to 323 for eight on the third day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'A' cricket match at IPCL ground at Vadodara on Tuesday.

At the end of third day's play, the visitors still needed 47 runs more to surpass Baroda's first innings total.

Wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia had five dismissals to his name. One of Mongia's victims was Pankaj Dharmani who was brilliantly caught by the Indian stumper two runs short of his century.

Mongia's other four victims were captain Dinesh Mongia (60), A Karkar (9) Chandan Madan (13) and Navdeep Singh (0).

Resuming at overnight score of 98 for loss of two wickets, Dinesh Mongia and Dharmani consolidated the team's position. They added 99 runs for the third wicket.

Reetinder Sodhi and Dharmani added 105 runs for the fourth wicket after the fall of Mongia.

When Dharmani, Mongia and Sodhi were the at the crease, it looked like Punjab would easily surpass the hosts first innings total.

However, medium pacer Rakesh Patel captured four vital wickets to dent the visitors' hopes. Gagandeep Singh with 33 and Vineet Sharma with 0 were batting at the close of play

Scoreboard:

Baroda 1st innings: 369 all out

Punjab 1st innings:
 Ravnit Rickey B Shekhar Joshi                 02
 Munish Sharma LBW B Rakesh Patel              04
 Pankaj Dharmani C Nayan Mongia B Rakesh Patel 98
 Dinesh Mongia C Nayan Mongia Rakesh Patel     60
 Reetinder Sodhi LBW Rakesh Patel              66
 A Karkar C Nayan Mongia B Shekhar Joshi       09
 Chandan Madan C Nayan Mongia B Rakesh Patel   13
 Gagandeep Singh not out                       33
 V Navdeep Singh C Nayan Mongia B Rajesh Pawar 00
 Vineet Sharma not out                         07

Extras: (21 NB, 7B, 1 LB, 2W)                  31

Total: (for 8 wickets in 129 overs)           323

Fall of wickets: 1/8, 2/18, 3/117, 4/222, 5/251, 6/240, 7/282, 8/290.

Bowling: Rakesh Patel 31-4-90-4, Shekhar Joshi 21-4-58-2, Ajit Bhoite 27-5-62-0, Rajesh Pawar 35-10-58-2, Yusuf Pathan 15-4-47-0.