Shillong, Jan 24: In a nail-biting encounter, Meghalaya showcased remarkable composure to secure a three-wicket victory over Mizoram on the concluding day of their U-23 men’s Col CK Nayudu Trophy clash in Nadiad, Gujarat, this Wednesday.
Captain Kevin Christopher once again demonstrated his leadership prowess, steering his team to success with a crucial unbeaten knock of 40 runs.
While not his highest score of the season, his innings played a pivotal role in sealing the win.
A brief recap of the match reveals Meghalaya’s strategic prowess. After dismissing Mizoram for 220 in the first innings, Meghalaya posted a competitive 259. The Meghalaya bowlers then exhibited their skills, limiting Mizoram to 232 in the second innings. This set a target of 194 for Meghalaya, a goal they achieved on Wednesday, albeit losing seven wickets in the process.
Resuming at 30/2, Nishanta Chakraborty (39 runs from 134 deliveries) and Bipin Kumar Ray (26 runs from 80) formed a sturdy partnership, contributing 59 runs for the third wicket.
Despite various batters making promising starts, Mizoram stayed in contention by consistently taking wickets.
Towards the end, Kevin Christopher found himself leading the charge with minimal support from the tail-enders.PM Santhosh played a supportive role with an unbeaten 13 from 28 deliveries. However, it was Kevin who shouldered the majority of the scoring burden, amassing 51 runs off 51 balls, including four fours and a crucial six, only the second of the entire match.
Kevin, already boasting two centuries, now ranks fourth in the nationwide runs list with a total of 423 runs in three matches. Meghalaya remains undefeated, securing victories in all three matches and tying with Nagaland at 19 points. The Meghalaya team is set to return home, gearing up to face Arunachal Pradesh on January 28.
The Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy is a domestic cricket championship played in India between under-23 teams representing various state and regional cricket associations. It is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is named after India’s first Test cricket captain, C. K. Nayudu. Each match is played over four-days. The tournament was first played in 1973-74 under the name “Junior Tournament of India for the Colonel Nayudu Trophy”. The trophy was donated by the Bombay Cricket Association from the funds collected to perpetuate the memory of Nayudu. Until 2003-04 season, the tournament was played in zonal format.
