Patel gives Orissa BSNL a flying start

Orissa started their campaign on a flying note, posting a thumping 275-run win over Chhatishgarh in the All-India BSNL Cricket Tournament at DAV College ground in Chandigarh today. All-rounder Paresh Patel was the architect of the victory, hitting an 43-ball unbeaten 103 and bagging four wickets for 10 runs. Among other notable performers, BBCC Mohapatra, Priyabrata Pradhan and new recruit Tukuna Sahu hit a half-century each, while off-spinner S K Nayak returned with a five wicket haul. Brief scores: Orissa 356/3 in 50 overs (Paresh Patel 103 n.o, Tukuna Sahu 76, Priyabrata Pradhan 61 n.o, BBCC Mohapatra 56, Niranjan Behera 38) beat Chhatishgarh 81/10 in 26 overs (S K Nayak 5/11, Paresh Patel 4/10).