OCA U-16 inter-district super league: Rest of Odisha-A clinch win over Jharsuguda

Cuttack: The second round of the OCA U-16 Inter-District Cricket Tournament 2025 Super League saw impressive bowling displays and competitive batting efforts across venues on Wednesday, with Rest of Odisha-A clinching win on the basis of first innings lead

At the Bidanasi Ground, Cuttack-A, opting to bat first, were bundled out for 125 runs in 51.4 overs. Abhisek Kalia (33) and Satyansh Sharma (27) offered brief resistance, but Slok S. Nayak was outstanding for Bhubaneswar-A, returning figures of 6 for 14, while Mrutyunjay Tripathy claimed 2 for 24. In reply, Bhubaneswar-A reached 154/3 at stumps, led by unbeaten half-centuries from Mrutyunjay Tripathy (63) and Leoneel Meher (61), giving them a 29-run lead**.

At Nimpur Ground, Rest of Odisha-A overcame a low-scoring contest to edge out Jharsuguda by a 14-run first-innings lead. Batting first, Rest of Odisha-A were bowled out for 95, with Saurabh Yadav (32) and Prachet Singh (24) contributing valuable runs. Satyam K. Singh (5/13) and Tapan Gupta (2/12) starred with the ball for Jharsuguda. In response, Jharsuguda managed only 81, undone by a devastating spell from Mrutyunjay Biswal (5/8), who was named stand-out performer of the match.

At Gatiroutpatna Ground, Keonjhar fought back after bowling out Puri for 143. Rahuldev S. Naik (6/18) was the pick of the bowlers, while Soham K. Jena chipped in with 2/24. For Puri, Anshuman Mohanty (38) and Subhankar Swain (34) provided key contributions. In reply, Keonjhar closed the day at 113/7, thanks to Ashutosh K. Naik (56) and Krishnajit Sahoo (42), still trailing by 30 runs.

Meanwhile, at the Sunshine Ground, Rest of Odisha-B posted 181 in their first innings, with Anuj K. Yadav (37) and Sideswar Bag (29) leading the charge. Neil N. Mohanty (3/54) and Aditya Sagar (3/27) impressed for Sundargarh, who ended Day 1 at 94/7, trailing by 87 runs.