By Our Reporter
Shillong, Oct 25: Meghalaya’s winless streak in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament continued on Wednesday, as they suffered a five-wicket defeat at the hands of Haryana in Jaipur.
Opting to bat first after losing the toss, Meghalaya managed to post a total of 94 all out in 19.1 overs. The lone standout performance came from their guest player, Nahul Verma, who contributed a valuable 43 runs from 34 balls, including five boundaries. Unfortunately, Verma lacked significant support, with the only other noteworthy contribution coming from No. 7 batsman Riboklang Hynniewta, who scored 19 runs from 28 deliveries – a commendable effort, marking his highest score in this domestic T20 format.
In the second innings, Meghalaya’s bowlers made a valiant effort to disrupt Haryana’s batting rhythm, but their total was simply not enough to defend. Guest player Rajesh Bishnoi, who had a disappointing duck while batting, redeemed himself by taking 2 wickets for 13 runs in his 4-over spell. Chengkam Sangma (1/17 in 2) and Akash Kumar Choudhary (1/18 in 3) also contributed with crucial wickets.
Meghalaya is now gearing up for their final match of the tournament, where they will face Baroda on Friday.
In a related fixture on Tuesday, the Meghalaya Senior Women’s T20 team faced another defeat, this time at the hands of Bengal, who won by eight wickets. After being asked to bat first, Meghalaya managed to complete their 20 overs but could only muster a total of 43/7. The top scorers for Meghalaya were Rubi Chettri (12 not out) and Luiza Tamang (12).
Bengal’s bowlers, led by Rebeldalis Syiemlieh (1/8 in 1.5 overs) and Ajima Sangma (1/8 in 2 overs), restricted Meghalaya’s innings effectively. Bengal chased down the required runs in just 7.5 overs.
Meghalaya’s Women’s T20 team will now look to bounce back as they prepare to face Chandigarh in their upcoming match.
As Meghalaya’s cricket teams continue to grapple with challenging results in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, they are determined to show resilience and spirit in their remaining matches. With the hope of turning their fortunes around, the players and fans eagerly anticipate their upcoming fixtures, where they aim to make their mark and end these tournaments on a positive note.