Assam beat Odisha by six wickets

Kolkata: Assam thrashed Odisha by six wickets to record their second consecutive victory and get to the top of the table in the East Zone leg one-dayer for the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Veteran left-hand opener Dheeraj Jadhav, who struck a defiant 77, was once again the architect of Assam`s win as they chased a target of 259 with 28 balls to spare. Jadhav hit a 101-ball 77 (5x4, 1x6), while Sibsankar Roy extended a fine support with a quickfire 58-ball 56 (6x4, 1x6) as the former Maharahstra captain anchored the innings with crucial partnerships in the middle. Rajagopal Sathish slammed a quickfire 44 not out from 28 balls (6x4, 2x6) to steer Assam home. Put in to bat, Odisha recovered from a struggling start with Govind Poddar striking a fluent 121-ball 136, studded with four sixes and 12 fours. Skipper Biblap Samantray (43 from 57 balls, 2x4) gave Poddar a fine support as the duo put on 107 runs together after being reduced to 46/3 in the 15th over. Assam, however, did well to fight back with offie Gokul Sharma scalping four as they bundled out Odisha for 259 in the last ball of the innings. Odisha used eight bowlers but Assam never really seemed in trouble with a clinical chase. Assam now have nine points from two matches, while Odisha have -1, after conceding a bonus point to hosts Bengal in their opening match. Brief Scores: Odisha 258 all out in 50 overs (Govind Poddar 136, Biplab Samantray 43; Gokul Sharma 4/31). Assam: 260/4 in 45.2 overs (Dheeraj Jadhav 77, Sibsankar Roy 56, Rajagopal Sathish 44 not out). PTI