A 71-run unbeaten 10th wicket partnership between SD Vohra and SM Singh helped Baroda reach a respectable total of 241 for 9 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League tie at the Motibag Ground in Vadodara on Tuesday.

After electing to bat, Baroda found it difficult to negotiate with the Orissa pace attack led by the Mohanty duo of veteran Debasis and rookie Basant.

At lunch, the hosts were precariously placed with five down for only 78.

Opener Satyajit Parab (9) fell with 11 runs on the board and captain Connor Williams (15) went back to pavillion after a while. Rakesh Solanki also departed after making a dull six.

But Azhar Bilakhia took the responsibility and played a patient knock of 35 before his end.

Vice-captain Pinal Shah (44) and A Chauhan (35) revived the innings with a 55-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Then came the unbeaten 10th wicket stand between Vohra (45) and Singh (29) who ensured a decent total on the board for the hosts.

Rookie pacer Basant Mohanty was the wrecker-in-chief scalping four Baroda batsmen, while Debasis and left-arm bowler Saurav Sehgal claimed two each for the visitors.

Scorecard:
Baroda (1st innings):
C Williams c Pati b R Mohanty 15
S Parab c H Das b B Mohanty 9
A Bilakhia lbw b D Mohanty 35
R Solanki lbw b B Mohanty 6
S Gaekwad b B Mohanty 0
P Shah c SS Das b B Mohanty 44
Y Pathan c H Das b D Mohanty 9
A Chauhan c Pati b Sehgal 35
R Pawar c Pati b Sehgal 1
S Vohra not out 45
S Singh not out 29
Extras: (b 3, lb 4, nb 6) 13
Total: (for 9 wickets in 90 overs) 241

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-43, 3-71, 4-71, 5-71, 6-86, 7-141, 8-143, 9-170

Bowling: D Mohanty 22-7-29-2, B Mohanty 23-6-55-4, P Sinha 2-0-13-0, P Jayachandra 3-0-14-0, R Mohanty 12-1-38-1, S Sehgal 22-4-68-2, N Behera 6-2-17-0