Uttar Pradesh brightened their chances of a semi final berth crushing Bengal by an innings and 152 runs on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B match in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Left arm spinner Praveen Gupta (5 for 11) and young pacer Sudeep Tyagi (4 for 29) ran through the Bengal second innings, which folded for a paltry 193 in a little over four hours at the Eden Gardens.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh amassed 494 in their first innings.
The visitors picked up six points from the match to bolster their tally to 14 after five games and extricate themselves from any fears of relegation.
Bengal, who remained on eight points from five ties, continue to precariously hover in the demotion zone.
Needing 346 runs to avert an ignominy of an innings loss, Bengal openers Anushtup Majumdar and Arindam Das gave the hosts a sound start putting on 100 runs in their partnership.
Twenty year old Tyagi, who has been in fine form in his debut season, got the first breakthrough when Majumdar (60; 120m, 99b, 12x4) tried to drive a delivery pitched fractionally outside the off stump and only managed an outside edge that was gleefully accepted by Uttar Pradesh skipper Mohammad Kaif at first slip.
Buoyed by the success, Tyagi bowled his heart out, keeping to a nagging line a shade outside the off stump which rattled the Bengal willowers.
The pacer got another success three balls later, as newcomer Soham Ghosh departed without bothering the scorer and Bengal were reduced to 100 for 2.
Tyagi picked up the wicket of Das (31) in his next over, and a little later Wriddhiman Saha (8) fell prey to the same bowler.
