Orissa score 261 for six against services

Cuttack, Nov 25 (UNI) Orissa fought back strongly with Haladhar Das and Debashis Mohanty taking the team to 261 for six in reply to Services' first innings total of 346 at close of play on the third day of plate group Ranji match at the Barbati stadium here today.

Much depended on the shoulders of test discard Mohanty and Das, who were unbeaten with 47 and 56 respectively.

Orissa is still 85 runs behind the first innings total of the Services. Resuming at their overnight total of 71 for two, Niranjan Behera and Subit Biswal started the day fluently.

However, Biswal was dismissed for 15, while Niranjan Behera reached his half century before being out for 52.

Two other star batsmen of the home team Rashmi Ranjan Das and captain Prabhanjan Mallick settled down but failed to put up big score. Das was out for 30 while Mallick was dismissed for 25.

However, seamer Debashish Mohanty who, of late, had been contributing with the bat, and Haladhar Das built up a crucial partnership.

The two saw the day through without closing any further wickets.

Of the Services bowlers Faizal Mahammad took three wickets for 51 runs while Surender Singh claimed two wickets conceding 29 runs.

Brief Score: Services 1st Innings 346 all out in 137.3 overs (Yaspal Singh 154,Sanjai Verma 61,Sourav Sehgal 4for 74, Sanjaya Satpathy 2for 77. Debashish Mohanty 2 for77) Orissa: 1st Innings 71 for 2 in 33 overs(overnight score) 261 for six in 119.4 overs (Niranjan Behera 52,Haladhar Das 56 not out, Debashish Mohanty 47 not out,Fazil Muhammad 3/51 and Surinder Singh2/29 ) UNI DP SJC AY DB2001