Shillong, April 24: St Nanak Secondary School and KV Happy Valley booked their places in the semifinals of the Inter-School Under-18 Cricket Tournament, organised by the Shillong Cricket Association, after registering convincing quarterfinal victories here on Thursday.
In the first quarterfinal, St Nanak Secondary School outclassed Shillong Higher Secondary School by a massive 118 runs after putting up an imposing total of 174 for five in their allotted 20 overs.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, St Nanak built their innings around a brilliant knock from Dhiraj Kumar Mahato, who played a match-winning innings of 82 runs off 55 deliveries. Ayush Kumar also made a valuable contribution with 47 runs from 33 balls, helping the side post a challenging total.
For Shillong Higher Secondary School, Sonu Kumar was the standout bowler, claiming four wickets in his four-over spell while conceding 28 runs.
Gaurav chipped in with one wicket from his two overs.
In reply, Shillong Higher Secondary School struggled against a disciplined bowling attack and were bundled out for just 56 in 12.2 overs. Abhijit Chanda was the top scorer with 16 runs off 19 balls, but lacked support from the other end.
Piyush Kumar Rai was the chief destroyer with the ball, producing a sensational spell of four wickets for just one run in 2.2 overs.
Dhiraj Kumar Mahato also impressed with the ball, taking two wickets to complete an outstanding all-round performance.
Dhiraj was named Player of the Match for his crucial 83 runs and two wickets as St Nanak sealed a dominant win by 118 runs.
In another quarterfinal, KV Happy Valley edged past BK Bajoria School by eight runs in a closely fought contest.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, KV Happy Valley posted 134 for five in their 20 overs. Aadit Pradhan anchored the innings with an unbeaten 48 off 49 balls, while Udit Pradhan added 33 runs from 36 deliveries.
For BK Bajoria, Shanti Dhoj Sunar returned figures of two for 26 in four overs, while Anish Kedia picked up one wicket, conceding only 15 runs in his full quota.
Chasing 135 for victory, BK Bajoria fell just short, finishing on 126 for eight in their 20 overs.
Aryan Sunar scored 22 off 25 balls, while Ayush Ray contributed 21 runs from 34 deliveries, but the target remained out of reach.
Imran Ali and Himanshu starred with the ball for KV Happy Valley, both taking two wickets each to keep the opposition under pressure throughout the chase.
Aadit Pradhan was adjudged Player of the Match for his unbeaten 48 and one wicket as KV Happy Valley secured a hard-fought eight-run victory to advance to the next round.
With the semifinal line-up gradually taking shape, both St Nanak Secondary School and KV Happy Valley will head into the next stage with confidence and momentum on their side, though in contrasting fashions.
While St Nanak stamped their authority with a one-sided demolition powered by Dhiraj Kumar Mahato’s commanding all-round brilliance, KV Happy Valley showed composure under pressure to survive a tense contest and hold off BK Bajoria’s late challenge.
Their victories not only underlined the depth of talent present in the ongoing inter-school tournament but also set the stage for an exciting semifinal round, where the battle for a place in the final is expected to be even more intense as the competition enters its decisive phase.
