By Our Reporter
Shillong, Dec 23: A sensational performance with bat and ball saw Meghalaya utterly dominate Arunachal Pradesh on the second day of their U-19 men’s Cooch Behar Trophy semifinal in Anand, Gujarat, on Saturday.
Banialam Mylliemngap first devastated Arunachal with the ball, taking 6/28 in a stunning spell of 10.4 overs, before Shubham then struck 111 in Meghalaya’s second innings to give the team a huge lead of 417 runs over Arunachal. On Friday, Meghalaya posted 220 all out in their first innings and then had Arunachal on 53/1 by stumps, trailing by 169 runs.
Arunachal handled Meghalaya well on Friday evening but that all changed this morning, with the remaining nine wickets falling for the addition of only 30 runs in around an hour of relentless action. Banialam, who had taken one wicket, produced another five today, while his fellow pace bowler, Angkit Tamang, claimed the others to finish with 4/36 in 12 overs. Dismissing Arunachal, the hosts for this game, for just 83 gave Meghalaya a whopping 137-run first innings lead and they proceeded to turn the screw further against their opponents. Meghalaya raced into the distance in their second innings by scoring at 7 an over at first thanks to Manthan Dey’s rapid 42 from 24 deliveries (9x4s).
Shubham here played second fiddle, content to watch from the other end as he contributed just 5 to the opening partnership of 48.
The left-hander had to shoulder more of the responsibility after Manthan’s dismissal and he rose to the occasion. His innings came off 205 deliveries and included 18 fours and one six. Shubham was given ample support by No. 5 Avinash Rai, who scored 51 from 95 balls (10x4s) and together they put on exactly 100 for the fourth wicket.
Shubham was the last man to fall this evening, going to Bhargava (3/67), Arunachal’s most successful bowler of the innings so far. At the crease are Shavian Blah (17 not out) and Angkit (8 not out), with Meghalaya poised on 280/6.
The efforts of the entire team, but especially Banialam and Shubham, were appreciated by Meghalaya Cricket Association President Naba Bhattacharjee, who congratulated them both on their performances.
However, he knows that the job is only half done as Meghalaya must not let up in their pursuit of victory.
The Cooch Behar Trophy is a crucial tournament in the Indian cricketing circuit, serving as a breeding ground for future stars of the game. Launched in 1945–46, it’s India’s premier four-day cricket tournament for players under-19.