Shillong, Dec 11: Meghalaya cruised to a 110-run victory over Nagaland in their Ranji Trophy match in Dimapur today.
Needing 292 to win, Meghalaya bowled out Nagaland for 181 in the fourth and final innings on the third day.
Meghalaya resumed their second innings in the morning on 89/9, leading by 238 runs. After surviving 13 deliveries late yesterday without scoring, No. 11 batsman Dipu Sangma reached his joint-highest score across any national format at the senior level, hitting 36 not out off 70 deliveries with six fours. His was also the highest score of the innings as Meghalaya were bowled out for 142 when his partner at the other end – Laxman Chettri – was dismissed for 33. The pair had put on 61 for the last wicket to frustrate the hosts.
Meghalaya had made 285 in their first innings, to which Nagaland had responded with 136. Nagaland were thus set a target of 292 for victory and they began the chase with a partnership of 49 between openers Aosashi Longchar (44) and Yogesh Takawale (21).
However, this partnership was broken by Sangma (1/18) and guest-professional Sanjay Yadav, who had taken an astounding nine wickets in Nagaland’s first innings, continued to trouble the opposition, finishing with figures of 4/60 (match figures of 13/112). Unusually, fellow guest-professional Punit Bisht, who normally keeps wicket, also rolled his arm over and claimed two vital wickets to return figures of 2/18 – his first wickets at senior level. Ravi Teja also took 2/31 as Meghalaya sailed to victory.
