THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD:
-11 R Bland (Eng), B Lane (Eng), Y Chan (Tai), Andersson Hed (Swe), Beck (Aus), Gangjee (Ind), Hiratsuka (Jpn) -10 A Dodt (Aus), D Drysdale (Sco), Tannin (HK) Selected others: -9 D Clarke (NI) -8, O Fisher (Eng) -7 R Finch (Eng)

Bland felt he was lucky to shoot a 66 in Saturday's third round

Richard Bland shot into contention with a 66 to end the third round in a group of seven players tied for the lead at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi.

Fellow Englishman Barry Lane, 49, maintained his bid to become the oldest winner of a European Tour event with a one-under 71.

But he spurned the chance to take the outright lead when he bogeyed the 18th.

Darren Clarke is two off the pace after a 70 while Oliver Fisher is a shot further back after a 71.

Bland said his 66 at the DLF Golf and Country Club felt "a bit strange".

"There were points when I felt that I wasn't playing too well," said Bland.

"It felt like my playing partners played better than I did but I was the one that made the score. They are probably at home cursing me at the moment but you have to take the luck when it comes your way."

Lane felt he played "beautifully", until he got to the green.

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"I just couldn't hole any putts until the 15th and then holed another good one on the 17th, but apart from that I struggled on the greens again, so my wife has summoned me to the putting green to try and work on it and figure it out," stated Lane.

Second-round leader Chan Yih-Shin of Taiwan secured birdies at the 12th and 15th to card a level-par 72 and remain 11 under.

He is joined in the leading group by Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed, who carded a 66, and India's Rahil Gangjee, who had a solid 69.

In a day of missed opportunities, Japan's Tetsuji Hiratsuka, who set a course record 62 on Friday, wasted a chance to lead on his own after bogeying the 18th on his way to a 70.

The same fate befell Darren Beck after the Australian had picked up four early birdies in his 70.

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