Satpathy, Das spin out Tripura

The Orissa slow attack of Sanjay Satpathy and Jagannath Das spun out Tripura for a meagre 114 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy tie at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala on Friday. In reply the visitors strolled to 80/2 at stumps with skipper Shiv Sunder Das showing the way with an unbeaten 42.

After the Orissa opening duo of Debashis Mohanty and Ajay Barick made the initial breakthroughs, the slow men held complete sway over the proceedings. From a position of relative solidity at 85/2, Tripura lost their next eight wickets for 29. Offspinner Satpathy claimed 4/25 and leg spinner Das complemented his efforts to a nicety with a bag of 3/36. None of the last seven men reached double figures as the innings sputtered to a close in the 69th over. One-drop RN Ghosh top scored with 24.

Opener Pradeep Das fell in the fourth over when Orissa got their turn but his namesake SS Das, playing his first Ranji Trophy match of the season, and Pravanjan Mullick steadied matters with a 55 run association. Although Mullick fell late in the final session, Das came through unbeaten in the company of Sanjay Raul as Orissa closed out the day just 34 behind.