OCA inter-district school tournament: Big wins for Sundargarh, Cuttack-B and Nabarangpur; Kandhamal edge Nuapada
Cuttack: A dominant all-round display from Sundargarh, a narrow escape for Kandhamal, and comfortable wins for Cuttack-B and Nabarangpur highlighted the opening day of the OCA Inter District School Cricket Tournament (2025–26) preliminary league matches played across different venues on Wednesday.
At the Ravenshaw II Ground, Sundargarh registered a commanding 131-run victory over Ganjam after opting to bat first. Sundargarh were bowled out for 235 in 35.4 overs, with MD Arman leading the charge with a brisk 60 off 38 balls, while Rehan Khan added 38. Ganjam’s bowlers Ayushmaan Sahu and Mayank Nayak claimed three wickets each to restrict the total. However, Ganjam’s chase never gathered momentum as they were dismissed for 104 in 31 overs, despite Bikash Behera’s 44. UVS Patel starred with the ball, returning figures of 4 for 12 from seven overs, earning the stand-out performer award.
In a closely fought contest at the Kuranga Sasan Ground, Kandhamal edged past Nuapada by two wickets. Nuapada were bowled out for 136 in 42.2 overs after opting to bat, with Navya Sharma top-scoring with 29. Atulan Bishwas was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4 for 30. Kandhamal’s reply saw them reach 137 for eight in 40.2 overs, with Subhranshu Das and Animesh P. Sahu contributing crucial runs in a tense finish. Despite Sai A. Nayak’s four-wicket haul for Nuapada, Kandhamal held their nerve to clinch the win, with Atulan Bishwas named stand-out performer.
Cuttack-B recorded an emphatic eight-wicket win over Nayagarh at the Bidanasi Ground. Nayagarh struggled with the bat and were dismissed for 98 in 25.2 overs, with Sahil Parida top-scoring with 20. Ayush Rout and Mukesh Swain did the damage, picking up four wickets each. In response, Cuttack-B chased down the target comfortably, scoring 102 for two in just 14.3 overs. Anmol Narsaria’s 43 anchored the chase, while Ayush Rout was adjudged stand-out performer for his impressive spell.
At the Mula Padia Ground, Nabarangpur sealed a convincing 113-run victory over Jajpur. Batting first, Nabarangpur posted 199 all out in 36.1 overs, built around half-centuries from Pratyush Mahapatra (55) and Hemraj (50). Jajpur’s bowlers Judhajeet Swain and Sk Salik claimed four wickets apiece to keep the score in check. However, Jajpur faltered badly in their chase and were bowled out for just 86 in 24.3 overs. Nikhilesh Baisak led the bowling attack with figures of 3 for 19, earning him the stand-out performer honour.
