By Our Reporter
Shillong, May 5: The semi-finals of the Inter-School U-18 Cricket Tournament, organised by the Shillong Cricket Association, produced two contrasting encounters as St Nanak Secondary School and KV Happy Valley booked their places in the final with convincing wins.
In the first semi-final, St Nanak Secondary School outclassed Sunrise Academy by 57 runs after a commanding all-round display. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, St Nanak posted an imposing 154 for 3 in their allotted 16 overs.
Ayush Kumar led the charge with a fluent 70 off 48 deliveries, while Piyush Kumar Ray chipped in with a steady 44 off 32 balls to anchor the innings.In response, Sunrise Academy struggled to keep pace and were restricted to 97 for 7 in 16 overs. Harsh top-scored with 19 off 21 balls, while Ayan Burman added 18 off 13. Among the bowlers, Ashish Kumar stood out with figures of 2 for 8 in three overs, applying the brakes at crucial moments.
Earlier, Obojit Paul had also made an impact with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for 31 runs in four overs. Ayush Kumar was deservedly named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock along with a wicket.
The second semi-final saw KV Happy Valley register a dominant nine-wicket victory over St Anthony’s Higher Secondary School. Batting first, St Anthony’s could only manage 105 for 8 in 20 overs, with Ayush Debnath scoring 20 off 16 balls and Samelawan contributing 14 off 14. Aman Chahal was the pick of the bowlers, returning impressive figures of 2 for 7 in four overs.
Chasing 106, KV Happy Valley cruised to 108 for 1 in just 17.4 overs. Aman Kr Ray played a composed innings of 44 off 46 balls, while Udit Pradhan guided the chase with 39 off 52 deliveries. Wansada Kharpan bowled economically, conceding just 17 runs in his four overs, but the total proved insufficient. Udit Pradhan was adjudged Player of the Match for his all-round contribution, scoring 39 runs and picking up a wicket.With these results, St Nanak Secondary School and KV Happy Valley will now face off in what promises to be a keenly contested final, both sides carrying momentum and confidence into the title clash.
