OCA inter-district school cricket tournament: Bhubaneswar-B enter final after five-wicket win over Bhubaneswar-A

Cuttack: Bhubaneswar-B secured a comfortable five-wicket victory over Bhubaneswar-A in the semifinal of the OCA Inter District School Cricket Tournament 2025-26 (Knockout Phase) at Barabati Stadium, here on Friday (Jan 30).

After winning the toss, Bhubaneswar-B chose to field first, a decision that proved effective as their bowlers kept things tight from the beginning.

Bhubaneswar-A were bowled out for 158 runs in 38.2 overs. Aditya R. Mishra held the innings together with a patient 67 off 94 balls, while Susanket Rout contributed 33 from 57 deliveries. However, the rest of the batting line-up struggled to build partnerships against disciplined bowling.

Omm P. Nayak delivered a standout spell, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 10 in six overs, including a maiden. Sai Shankar Sethi also chipped in with 2 for 22 from his five overs, helping restrict the opposition to a manageable total.

Chasing 159 for victory, Bhubaneswar-B paced their innings steadily and reached 159 for 5 in 43.3 overs.

Aditya K. Majhi top-scored with 45 off 83 balls, while Sai Shanker Sethi added a valuable 34 from 53 deliveries to guide the chase. Despite some resistance from Bhubaneswar-A bowlers, with Md Shahzaib Alam returning figures of 1 for 24 in 9 overs and Muppana S. Kaushik picking up 1 for 31 in 9 overs, Bhubaneswar-B remained in control.

Omm P. Nayak was named the stand-out performer of the match for his exceptional bowling spell of 3 for 10.

In the other semifinal scheduled on the same day at GatiRout Patna Ground, the match between Cuttack-A and Angul was abandoned and has been rescheduled for January 31 at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.