Orissa overcome bee attack to enter semis

Three times champions Orissa and North East-II shared two points after their last Group-D match of the All-India BSNL Cricket Tournament was abandoned due to bee attack in Chandigarh today. The unexpected invasion by the bees stopped play when North East-II were 82 for two in 13 overs in reply to Orissa’s huge total of 260 for three in 30 overs. However, four wins in a row earlier helped Orissa enter the semifinals, where they will meet defending champions NTR, Delhi on Friday. In the abandoned match, Orissa stumper Priyabrat Pradhan missed a century by nine runs, while Paresh Patel hit a breezy 72. Brief scores: Orissa 260/3 in 30 overs (Priyabrat Pradhan 91, Paresh Patel 72, Banaj Das 46) vs North East-II (82/2 in 13 overs).