State A Trophy
By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 11: Meghalaya won their second one day match in a row in the U-23 men’s State A Trophy 2025-26 plate group by one wicket against Manipur in Mohali on Tuesday.
Set a target of 193 to win, Meghalaya’s last batting pair got the required runs in the very last over and Meghalaya now top the points table with a full 8 points from two rounds. They had previously defeated Sikkim on Sunday. Meghalaya won the toss today and fielded first, bowling Manipur out for 192 in 49.2 overs.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Manish Sharma was both economical and destructive with the ball, taking 3/18 in 10 overs for Meghalaya.
Fast bowler PM Santhosh bagged 3/41 in 10 overs and there was also a wicket each for Shavian Blah (1/0 in 0.2), Gavineal Marpna (1/31 in 10) and Denikcheng Marak (1/48 in 10). Manipur’s top scorer was Somokanta, who made 43 before being run out by Denikcheng.
The chase began in a tricky fashion for Meghalaya as they lost three wickets in the space of four deliveries across two overs to go from 31/1 to 31/4. However, Josiah Momin (42 from 62 balls, 6x4s) and Rohit Yadav (65 from 112 balls, 5x4s) added 83 for the fourth wicket to pull Meghalaya away from danger. Santhosh also struck 32 from 55 balls (3x4s) to bring the team even closer to victory but a few late wickets gave Manipur hope.
Two tailenders were dismissed in the 46th over, leaving the last wicket pair of Gulgul Sangma (7 not out from 13) and Denikcheng (9 not from 11) 16 runs to get. Despite Manipur piling on the pressure the two batters stuck it out and the winning runs were hit off the first ball of the 50th over.
Boosted by the two wins, Meghalaya will next face Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday at Ropar.
It was a nail-biting finish that summed up Meghalaya’s growing resilience and fighting spirit in the tournament. Despite a middle-order wobble, the team held their nerves under immense pressure, with the final pair showing remarkable composure to see them home in the last over. With two thrilling victories in as many games, Meghalaya have emerged as early pace-setters in the plate group, and their confidence will be sky-high as they head into their next clash against Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday.
