LEFT-ARM spinner Harsh Dubey wreaked havoc taking seven wickets and then followed it up with an unbeaten half century to bring defending champions Vidarbha close to making it to the final of the Col CK Nayudu Trophy.

Vidarbha fared badly with bat in the first innings to be shot for a meagre 116 in response to Madhya Pradesh’s 282 in their semi-final at Alembic 2 Cricket Ground in Vadodara on Wednesday.

On penultimate day, Dubey spun a web to take six of the seven MP wickets to fall in the first session. This is for the second time in the tournament that the all-rounder has returned with seven-wicket haul in an innings. From 70-3, MP were bundled out for 148.

Going for the target of 315 runs, Vidarbha were 224-4 needing 91 more runs for a place in the final.

Dubey (57*; 78b, 9x4), who hit hundred in the last game and Mohit Kale (32*; 65b, 2x4, 1x6), who scored the only double century for the team in this edition were holding the fort. The duo has collected 95 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket partnership.

Earlier, in-form batters opener Aman Mokhade (69; 113b 8x4), number three Yash Rathod (42; 80b, 4x4) gave Vidarbha a good start after Nayan Chavan fell for 11.