OCA inter-district school tournament: Bhubaneswar-B, Angul and Kalahandi shine
Cuttack/Bhubaneswar: A series of one-sided contests and a few tightly fought encounters highlighted day five of the OCA Inter-District School Cricket Tournament 2025–26 (Second Phase Preliminary League), played across multiple venues on Friday.
At Gatirout Patna Ground, Bhubaneswar-B registered a commanding 96-run victory over Balasore. After opting to bat, Bhubaneswar-B posted 204 all out in 44 overs, led by Satamanyu Mangaraj’s solid 45 off 71 balls and Anshuman Das’ quick 35 off 34. Balasore’s chase faltered at 108 all out in 29.2 overs, despite Ritesh Mahalik’s 22. Omm P Nayak starred with the ball, claiming 5 for 16, while Mangaraj also impressed with 3 for 25.
In another match at Mula Padia Ground, Koraput cruised to an eight-wicket win over Jagatsinghpur. Jagatsinghpur were bundled out for just 40 in 13 overs, with Om Bahadur Lama producing a devastating spell of 6 for 12. Koraput chased down the target comfortably, scoring 41 for 2 in 7 overs, powered by Subrat Nayak’s 23 off 12 balls.
Also read: OCA inter-district school cricket tournament: Big wins for Bhubaneswar-B, Angul and Balangir
Elsewhere, Bhadrak edged past Sonepur by three wickets at Kuranga Sasan Ground, Khordha. Sonepur were bowled out for 87 in 41.1 overs, as Muhammad Z Raza picked up 3 for 12. Bhadrak reached 89 for 7 in 33.3 overs, with Adarsh K Bhal anchoring the chase with a patient 26 off 64 balls.
Meanwhile, Angul delivered a clinical performance to defeat Keonjhar by 10 wickets at DRIEMS Cricket Ground. Keonjhar were dismissed for 51 in 27.4 overs, with Omm Sri S Sahoo and Sai Abhilash Mishra sharing four wickets. Angul then chased the target without loss, scoring 53 for no wicket in 5.3 overs, led by Sahoo’s unbeaten 33 off 23 balls.
The biggest margin of the day came in the match where Balangir crushed Rayagada by 160 runs at Nimpur Cricket Ground. Batting first, Balangir posted an imposing 258 for 7 in 49 overs, courtesy a superb unbeaten 102 off 119 balls by Aditya Suna, along with Ayushmaan Baag’s 43. Rayagada were bowled out for 98 in 28.2 overs, as Shaikh F Quadri and Shibraj Panda picked up three wickets each.
In another match at BJB School Ground, Kalahandi pulled off a close two-wicket win against Sambalpur-B. Sambalpur-B were bowled out for 173 in 30.1 overs, with Soumil Padhi top-scoring with 66 off 56 balls. Kalahandi chased down the target, finishing at 174 for 8 in 36 overs, thanks to a gritty unbeaten 72 off 118 balls from Jaskaran Singh. Chinmaya Mahananda delivered an all-round performance, taking 5 for 46 and scoring 31.
