Opener Dheeraj Jadhav struck an unbeaten half century to guide West Zone to a seven-wicket victory over holders Central Zone and book a berth in the final of the Duleep Trophy here today.Requiring to score 137 to win on a crumbling, under-prepared pitch on which 30 wickets fell on the first two days of the four-day clash, hosts West reached the target well inside three days with Jadhav unbeaten on 57 in just over three hours stay.West, starting the third day at 2-0, were 81-3 when Maharashtra’s Jadhav, in the company of seasoned Baroda batsman Jacob Martin (not out 36), steered his team home to 140-3 with an unfinished 59-run stand for the fourth wicket.West lost Parab to Central medium pacer Harvinder Singh at 20 before Jadhav and Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer (25) took the score to 59. Jaffer became Abbas Ali’s first of the two victims in the innings.West lost another wicket, that of Parthiv Patel (6) at 81 to raise Central’s hopes of a win, before Jadhav and Martin quelled it with the unbeaten fourth wicket half-century stand.Brief scoresCentral Zone: 206 and 150 lost to West Zone: 220 and 140-3 (D Jadhav 57 n.o, W Jaffer 25, Martin 36 n.o, Abbas Ali 2-24)
