Shillong, Jan 17: Meghalaya showcased a dominating performance, securing victory by an innings and 51 runs on the conclusive day of their U-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy encounter against Manipur in Surat on Wednesday.
In a bid to achieve this triumph, Meghalaya faced resilient resistance from the middle order of Manipur, who sought to salvage a draw. However, Manish Sharma emerged as the standout performer, claiming figures of 6/32 in 31 overs on the final day.
This impressive display followed his earlier feat of 6/50 in the first innings, culminating in match figures of 12/82. Meghalaya Cricket Association President Nababrata Bhattacharjee lauded this as a “heroic effort,” marking the second instance in consecutive games where Sharma secured over 10 wickets, having previously bagged 14/54 against Sikkim in Meghalaya’s inaugural fixture.
Recapping the match dynamics, Manipur initially posted a resilient 257 in their first innings. Meghalaya responded emphatically with a total of 467/10, spearheaded by Kevin Christopher’s stellar 155, complemented by noteworthy half-centuries from Nishanta Chakraborty (66), Aman Kumar (65), and PM Santhosh (51).
Commencing their second innings at 22/2 on the final day, Manipur faced early setbacks, collapsing to a precarious 23/5 due to stellar bowling performances by Manish Sharma and Abhishek Kumar (2/58 in 14 overs).
Despite forging partnerships of 70 and 66 runs for the sixth and seventh wickets, Manipur succumbed to Manish Sharma and Aryan Borah (2/21 in 17 overs). The team slid from 159/6 to an eventual all-out, failing to add a single run.
Meghalaya’s upcoming challenge is slated against Mizoram in Nadiad, Gujarat, starting from January 21.
