By Our Reporter
Shillong, Oct 15: Despite India’s thrilling victory over Pakistan in the ICC World Cup on Saturday, it was a somber day for the U-19 men’s and women’s cricket teams of Meghalaya. They faced double disappointment as they succumbed to defeats against Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu.
In the Vinoo Mankad Trophy one-day tournament held in Vijayawada, the Meghalaya U-19 men’s team encountered a formidable Uttarakhand side. Uttarakhand won the toss and proceeded to dominate the match, amassing a commanding total of 430/7 in their 50 overs.
The highlights of their innings were the remarkable centuries by Aarav Mahajan (140) and Poorvansh Dhruv (174). Meghalaya’s bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, with Shavian Blah being the most successful, taking 2/63 in his 10 overs.
Angkit Tamang managed to bowl the only maiden over of the innings, while D Marak and Charm Marbaniang also chipped in with wickets. However, their collective efforts were not enough to curtail the Uttarakhand batsmen.
Despite their best efforts, Meghalaya’s U-19 men’s team could only muster 134 runs in response. Shubham Rasaily top-scored with 29, but the team ultimately fell short, with only three other players managing to reach double figures. Tamang (18), Rituraj Rabha (17), and Avinash Rai (13) all departed after promising starts.
The Meghalaya men’s team will now face Hyderabad in their next match today.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s U-19 One Day Trophy in Surat, Meghalaya’s U-19 women’s team faced a tough challenge from Tamil Nadu. Winning the toss, Tamil Nadu opted to bowl first and bowled out Meghalaya for a mere 44 runs in 26.3 overs. Janicka Marak was a bright spot in an otherwise challenging innings, contributing 21 runs to the total. In response, Tamil Nadu chased down the target in just 4.4 overs without losing any wickets.Meghalaya’s U-19 women’s team will play their final match of the tournament against Maharashtra today. Simultaneously, the Meghalaya senior men’s team is set to begin their journey in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament against Hyderabad in Jaipur today.
Despite these setbacks, the young talents of Meghalaya remain determined and are eager to bounce back in their upcoming matches. Both the men’s and women’s teams are working diligently to fine-tune their skills and strategies as they seek to make a mark in the ongoing tournaments.
In the Men’s U-19 competition, Meghalaya will look to regroup and come back stronger when they face Hyderabad on Monday, aiming to turn the tide in their favor. Meanwhile, the Women’s U-19 team will be hoping for a better performance in their last match against Maharashtra, determined to leave a positive impression before the tournament concludes.
In addition to the U-19 teams, the spotlight is also on the senior men’s team of Meghalaya, who are gearing up for their first fixture in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.