Shillong, Dec 26: Meghalaya experienced mixed results in separate cricket tournaments over Christmas, with an innings victory against Manipur in the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, but defeat by five wickets to Arunachal Pradesh in the U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy.
In Goalpara, Assam, Meghalaya steamrolled Manipur to win by an innings and 173 runs. At stumps on the first day, on Monday, Manipur were 29/5 in their first innings in response to Meghalaya’s 281 all out.
Meghalaya continued to bowl well on the second day, taking the remaining five wickets for the addition of just four runs as Manipur were all out for only 33. Abhishek took nine of the 10 wickets, finishing with figures of 9/11.
Meghalaya understandably enforced the follow-on and, though Manipur put up more of a fight in their second innings, there really was not enough resistance and they were all out this time for 75.
Two wickets in this innings gave Abhishek matches figures of 11/20. Aryan took 4/22 in the second innings, while Bipin claimed 3/21 and Sudhir Sahani 1/17.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya’s U-23 team lost their Col CK Nayudu Trophy match by five wickets to Arunachal in Mangaldai, Assam, today.
Meghalaya had made only 48 in their first innings on day one, on Monday, to which Arunachal had responded with 163 all out. Meghalaya’s second innings was far better, however, and they went on to score 255 all out, thanks to a top score of 75 by P Rohit, which set Arunachal 141 to win.
Three early wickets for just five runs gave Meghalaya some hope, but Arunachal regrouped around the half-century of Gaurav Verma (53) and crossed the finish line with the loss of five wickets.
Akash Kumar, who made an unbeaten 37 in Meghalaya’s second innings, took 2/22, while Kartik Pawar snatched 2/45 (match figures of 9/71) and Arbin Singh 1/23.