Shillong, Sep 24: Meghalaya won their opening match of the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy plate group match by 194 runs in Dehra Dun today.
Sikkim won the toss and opted to field first but Meghalaya posted 318/5 in their 50 overs. Meghalaya started positively, with a half-century partnership between openers Raj Biswa (who is also the captain) and Swarajeet Das that came in under 10 overs.
However, Das (11) was dismissed leg before by Iqbal Abdulla two deliveries into the latter’s first over of the day. Biswa (27) and Wallambok Nongkhlaw (4) followed soon after – both trapped lbw by Bhushan Subba – before Punit Bisht and Ravi Teja steadied the ship.
Teja, Meghalaya’s new professional, brought up the team’s 100 with his first boundary in the 23rd over. Bisht then reached his half-century with a four off Lee Yong Lepcha. His fifty came off just 36 deliveries.
Mandup Bhutia claimed Bisht’s wicket off the first ball of his third over for 74 (13 fours), with Meghalaya placed at 169/4. Bisht and Teja had put on 99 for the fourth wicket.
Teja, though, carried on and finished not out on 109, with Amiangshu Sen falling on the penultimate ball of the innings for a fine 59 after a partnership of 143 runs with Teja.
In the chase Sikkim were put on the back foot, losing their first three wickets for just 37 runs, with Sen taking two wickets in his first over.
They recovered somewhat with a half-century by Yashpal (53), but crashed from 101/4 to 124 all out in 46.3 overs. Aditya Singhania was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 4/18.
Last year Meghalaya had thrashed Sikkim by 149 runs in the same tournament. Bisht, the one professional to be retained by Meghalaya from 2018-19, scored 149 against Sikkim last year.
Tomorrow Meghalaya will take on Puducherry.
