OCA inter-district school cricket tournament: Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Rourkela seal wins
Cuttack: Several one-sided contests and strong individual performances highlighted day four of the OCA inter-district school cricket tournament 2025–26 (Phase 3), with five matches played across different venues on Saturday.
At Gatirout Patna Ground, Khordha registered a comfortable seven-wicket win over Jharsuguda. Batting first after winning the toss, Jharsuguda were bowled out for 142 in 43.3 overs, with Wasil Khan scoring a fighting 64 off 77 balls. Khordha bowler Naitik Sadaramka delivered a match-winning spell, finishing with figures of 4 for 33. In reply, Khordha chased down the target in 25.2 overs, reaching 143 for 3, led by Induru H Vardhan’s 34 and Subhaditya Panda’s 30.
At the Driems Cricket Ground, Dhenkanal cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Sambalpur-A. Sambalpur-A collapsed to 65 all out in 19.3 overs despite Ayansh Pattnaik’s 29. Krushant Behera starred with the ball, claiming five wickets for just nine runs. Dhenkanal comfortably chased the target, scoring 66 for 2 in 17.5 overs, with Yashraj top-scoring with 34.
Cuttack-A produced a clinical performance against Deogarh at the Kuranga Sasan Ground. Deogarh, who chose to bat, were skittled for 71 in 38.1 overs, as Durgasish Behera ran through the batting line-up with an impressive five-wicket haul for 15 runs. Cuttack-A then chased down the target in just 16 overs, finishing at 72 for 3 to secure a seven-wicket win.
At the BJB School Ground in Khordha, Mayurbhanj secured an eight-wicket win over Malkangiri. Batting first, Malkangiri were dismissed for 86 in 23.2 overs, with Rajesh Soyam scoring 44. Modiras Behera led Mayurbhanj’s bowling attack with figures of 3 for 9. In response, Mayurbhanj reached 90 for 2 in 17.2 overs, guided by an unbeaten 41 from Priyanshu Jena.
The biggest result of the day came at the Adashpur Ground, where Rourkela dominated KIIT by a massive 258 runs. Rourkela posted a formidable 311 all out in 49 overs, powered by Nandu Bodra’s outstanding 96 off 108 balls and support from Sai Rudra Mahal’s 46. KIIT crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 53 in 23.1 overs, with Aniruddha Sarkar picking up three wickets for just three runs. Bodra was named the stand-out performer for his commanding innings.
