Shillong, Dec 9: Meghalaya’s bowlers were just too much to handle for Arunachal Pradesh, as the latter were bowled out for 132 in their second innings of their U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy match in Shillong on Saturday, earning the hosts a massive victory by an innings and 256 runs.
Beginning the day on 13/3 and still 375 runs behind, the visitors struggled to forge partnerships as Meghalaya kept the pressure up in the bowling and fielding departments on an overcast final day at the MCA Cricket Ground.
Meghalaya had declared on 504/8 in their first innings, then dismissed Arunachal for 116 yesterday and immediately decided to enforce the follow-on.
Besides Sushovan Mazumder (10), who was dismissed yesterday, only A Sharma managed to make it into double figures. Sharma, who came in at number five, finished the innings unbeaten on 79, the lone thorn in Meghalaya’s side.
Captain Rushikesh Jadhav picked up 3 wickets for 40 runs with his spin bowling to finish the match with figures of 8-83. Kirtirajsinh Raulji snatched 2-28 on the third day, while Sudhir Sahani, who bowled out the openers yesterday, returned to pick up the wicket of the No. 11 batsman Dikshant Rana today, finishing with figures of 3-9 in the second innings.
Jadhav and wicketkeeper Dikshit Parmar struck centuries in Meghalaya’s only innings with the bat, scoring 107 and 106 respectively.
With two wins under their belt, the Meghalaya boys will be beaming and rearing to go against their next opponents, Manipur. That match will start in Shillong on December 13. Manipur lost their opening two games to Nagaland and Bihar.
(Photo contributed by the Meghalaya Cricket Association)
