By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 27: Meghalaya faced a disappointing loss in their final match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023 T20 tournament against Baroda in Jaipur on Friday, falling short by seven wickets.
In a challenging encounter, Meghalaya found themselves batting first after losing the toss. Despite playing out their allotted 20 overs, they could only amass a total of 65/8. Baroda, known for their ferocious hitting, swiftly chased down the target, losing only three wickets in 5.2 overs.
Anish Charak, a consistent contributor in the lower order throughout the season, continued his trend by scoring an unbeaten 19 from 20 deliveries at the eighth position. Akash Kumar Choudhary, his partner for the eighth wicket, managed to add 10 runs from 13 balls. In the middle order, Lerry Sangma contributed 16 runs from 22 deliveries.
Despite their best efforts, Meghalaya was unable to defend their modest total, as Baroda scored at an impressive rate of 12.38 runs per over. Meghalaya’s guest player, Rajesh Bishnoi, claimed 2/25 in 1.2 overs, while Anish Charak took 1/19 in 2 overs. These individual performances provided some consolation in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Meghalaya, as they lost all seven of their matches in the tournament.
Looking ahead, Meghalaya’s cricket enthusiasts can anticipate a thrilling encounter as the team faces Saurashtra in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy today. In their recent match against Chandigarh, Meghalaya experienced a tough loss by 104 runs. Chandigarh batted first after winning the toss and set a target of 147/3, with Ajima Sangma (1/22 in 4), Rebeldalis Syiemlieh (1/27 in 4), and a crucial run-out contributing to the wickets taken. Meghalaya’s batting, was subdued as they could only muster 43/9 in their allotted 20 overs, with Luiza Tamang (15 from 20 deliveries) being the only player to reach double figures.