Post News Network
Cuttack, Jan 6: After three successive loses, a beleaguered Orissa will look for their maiden win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 cricket tournament, when they meet Services at the DRIEMS Ground, Thursday. Both the teams are out of the knock-out race. So it will be more of a prestige fight for the hosts and the second weakest team of Group D. While Orissa are languishing at the bottom of Group D without a point, Services have four from three games.
Orissa lad Soumyaranjan Swain is leading the Services. On the other hand the hosts are still seeking their first victory having lost to Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra earlier. So the hosts will be desperate to get their names on the points table Thursday.
Meanwhile Uttar Pradesh will meet Mumbai in their fourth match in the morning session at the Barabati Stadium. UP have won all their matches to secure the top position of Group D with 12 points while Mumbai are second in the group with eight points.
In another tie Karnataka will face Maharashtra. Karnataka have so far managed a single win and are occupying the fourth place in the points table with four points. Maharashtra are in third place with two wins and one loss.
Mumbai players had a good practice session at the Barabati Stadium in the morning. Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh players sweated it out in the afternoon. Meanwhile Orissa and Services teams practiced at the DRIEMS Ground.
Orissa Police to meet DAV in final
Orissa Police High School and DAV Public School CDA won their respective semifinal matches, Wednesday to enter the final of the BC Parida Memorial Inter-School cricket tournament at the Ravenshaw Ground here. The final will be played at the Sunshine Ground, Thursday.
In the first semifinal, DAV beat New Stewart by 75 runs. Opting to bat first, DAV rode on a fine half century by Subhasis Behera (79 n o) to score 180 in 37 overs. In reply, New Stewart were bundled out for 105.
In the second semifinal, Orissa Police HS registered an emphatic seven wickets victory over Modern Public School. Put into bat first, Modern Public School scored 95 runs. Rohit Behera bowled well for Orissa Police to capture four wickets. Orissa Police had no problem in chasing as they romped home in 19.1 overs for the loss of three wickets.