Vijay Merchant Trophy
By Our Reporter
Shillong, Jan 5: In a hard-fought battle at Jamshedpur, Meghalaya faced defeat at the hands of Manipur in the final of the U-16 boys’ Vijay Merchant Trophy plate group. The three-day contest commenced on Wednesday, marked by Meghalaya winning the toss and opting to bat.
Meghalaya struggled in their first innings, posting a modest 111 before Manipur showcased their batting prowess with a commanding score of 293/10.
The second innings witnessed Meghalaya being bundled out for 147, leading to Manipur securing victory by an innings and 35 runs.
This defeat mirrored Meghalaya’s previous encounter with Manipur during the round-robin stage. Noteworthy performances with the bat came from Rudra Singh Rathore (49) in the first innings and Dipayan Nandi (55) in the second. Aashish Kumar Lohar (3/61) and Apandanka Marak (3/68) emerged as the standout bowlers for Meghalaya.
Dipayan Nandi emerged as the highest run-scorer for Meghalaya throughout the tournament, accumulating 393 runs and securing four half-centuries.
However, it was in the bowling department that Meghalaya truly excelled, with Apandanka Marak claiming 48 wickets, ascending to the upper echelons of the national wicket-taking charts. Gaurav Jyoti Thakuria also contributed significantly, amassing 31 wickets this season.
Despite a setback in the initial match against Sikkim, Meghalaya exhibited resilience by drawing with Nagaland and securing victories against Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.
The last round-robin encounter, resulting in a loss to Manipur, did not deter them, as they rebounded to triumph over Nagaland in the semifinals, securing a coveted spot in the final.
As the tournament chapter closes, Meghalaya can take pride in their achievements and use this experience as a stepping stone for future successes on the cricketing stage.