Orissa enters Plate group final in Ranji trophy

Cuttack, Jan 13 (UNI) Orissa registered an emphatic seven-wicket win over Asom to enter the Ranji Trophy Plate group final after a gap of four seasons.

Set to score 121 for victory on the fourth day of the Ranji trophy match at the Barbati stadium here today, Orissa batsmen achieved the feat with ease.

Opener Shib Sundar Das and Bikash Swarup Pati scored freely to post 41 before Pati fell for 26. Das went on to score 43 runs as Orissa lost two more wickets in reaching the target.

Niranjan Behera remained unbeaten with 45 runs.

The entire Orissa team, Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) officials and two Ministers - Samir Dey and Debashish Nayak - were on the field to congratulate the team as it was after a long gap that Orissa entered the Plate group final.

OCA secretary Arshibad Behera promptly announced an incentive of Rs 50,000 to each player on the field. He also declared that if the team wins the final match, the OCA would gift Rs one lakh to each player.

Earlier, during the morning session of the play Asom resumed its second innings at 100 for six and was skittled out adding only 20 runs to the total.

Sukant Khatua was the pick of Orissa bowlers today claiming three wickets for 35 runs, while Debashis Mohanty added one more wicket today and returned with figures of 4 for 43.

Brief score: Asom 1st Innings 235 all out (Tazinder Singh 43, Nishant Bordoloi 40, Debashis Mohanty 5 for 66, Sukant Khatua 3 for 44 ) Orissa Ist Innings 233 all out (Prabhanjan Mallick 57, Haladhar Das 40, Pritam Das 5 for 65 and Dhiraj Goswami 2 for 44).

Asom 2nd Innings 120 all out (Pervez Aziz 50, Debashis Mohanty 4for 43, Sukant Khatua 3 for 35) Orissa 2nd Innings 125 for three (Niranjan Behera 45 not out,S S Das 43,Arlen Konwar 3 for 35) UNI