Openers Ravneet Ricky and Shikhar Dhawan hit centuries as North Zone amassed 358 to take control of the Duleep Trophy match against the visiting Zimbabwe President's XI in Mumbai on Friday.
At stumps on the second day of the four-day match, the Zimbabwe eleven, which was shot out for a paltry 94 in the first innings, showed better application in their second essay to finish with 50 for 1 in 21 overs.
They need another 214 runs to make North bat again.
Earlier, North openers Ricky and Dhawan resumed at 62 without loss and put on a double century stand. Dhawan scored 117 in 283 minutes and hit 18 fours before he was sent back by off-spinner Prosper Utseya, who ended up with three wickets.
Manvinder Bisla was dismissed cheaply - the first of seven victims claimed by leg spinner Graeme Cremer.
Then Ricky, who scored 106, also fell to the Zimbabwe leggie to trigger a procession of batsmen to the pavilion.
The middle order collapsed against the double spin attack of Cremer and Utseya, barring Yashpal Singh, who was unbeaten on 51, with three fours and a six.
Yashpal also put on 72 runs for the last wicket with captain Amit Bhandari, who made 22 before spooning a skier to Cremer off the leggie's own bowling.
Cremer finished with fine figures of seven for 114 while Utseya, who played against India in the Test series back home, grabbed three for 78.
Trailing by a huge first innings margin, Zimbabwe lost opener Neil Ferreira to off-spinner Sarandeep Singh but Terence Duffin and Vusi Sibanda prevented any further damage.
Scorecard
Zimbabwe President's XI (1st innings):
T Duffin lbw Joginder Sharma 9
N R Ferreira b Joginder Sharma 22
V Sibanda c Dharmani b Joginder Sharma 0
H Masakadza c Dharmani b Joginder Sharma 0
D Ebrahim lbw Joginder Sharma 5
BRM Taylor lbw Mishra 3
C K Coventry c Dharmani b Mishra 27
P Utseya c Bhandari b Mishra 4
N B Mahwire b Joginder Sharma 7
A G Cremer not out 6
A J Ireland c Sangram Singh b Mishra 0
Extras: (b 4, lb 1, nb 6) 11
Total: (all out, 43.2 overs) 94
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-27, 3-32, 4-40, 5-47, 6-51, 7-67, 8-79, 9-93, 10-94.
Bowling: Gagandeep Singh 6-2-9-0, Bhandari 4-2-5-0, Sarandeep Singh 12-3-38-0, Joginder Sharma 12-3-21-6 (5nb), Mishra 9.2-3-16-4 (1nb).
North Zone (1st innings):
R S Ricky c Coventry b Cremer 106
S Dhawan c Ebrahim b Utseya 117
M S Bisla c Taylor b Cremer 1
P Dharmani c Cremer b Utseya 27
Sangram Singh b Cremer 0
Yashpal Singh not out 51
Joginder Sharma b Cremer 6
A Mishra c Ebrahim b Cremer 2
Sarandeep Singh lbw Utseya 0
Gagandeep Singh c Ebrahim b Cremer 0
A Bhandari c Ireland b Cremer 22
Extras: (b 10, lb 12, w 2, nb 2) 26
Total: (all out, 108.4 overs) 358
Fall of wickets: 1-220, 2-227, 3-258, 4-260, 5-270, 6-276, 7-284, 8-285, 9-286, 10-358.
Bowling: Mahwire 19-2-60-0 (1nb), Ireland 18-3-41-0, Sibanda 7-1-37-0 (1w), Cremer 32.4-1-114-7 (1nb), Utseya 31-10-78-3, Ebrahim 1-0-6-0.
Zimbabwe President's XI (2nd innings):
T Duffin not out 7
N R Ferreira c Sangram Singh b Sarandeep Singh 7
V Sibanda not out 17.
Extras: (b 4, lb 5, w 10) 19
Total: (1 wicket, 17 overs) 50
Fall of wicket: 1-17 (Ferreira)
Bowling: Joginder Sharma 5-1-21-0 (3nb), Bhandari 2-1-1-0, Sarandeep Singh 5-2-11-1, Mishra 5-2-8-0 (3nb).
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