DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 6 (MExN): Nagaland ended its maiden foray to senior first class cricket on a victorious note defeating Mizoram in Group-D of the Plate Group. The Nagaland team defeated its sister north-east team by 8 wickets at the Shastri Medan, Anand, Gujarat on Saturday.
Mizoram after electing to bat first could post only 100. They were bowled out in 42.2 overs in what was yet another display of great bowling from the Nagaland bowlers. Imliwati and Inakato claimed 3 each, Abrar Kazi 2 while Tahmeed and Jonathan Rongsen took 1 each.
Mizoram’s Taruwa Kohli top scored with 33 runs, while openers Amatea and Mikal fell early making only 8 runs between them.
Nagaland chased down the target in 12.5 overs for losing captain Rongsen and Paras on the way. Zoriniliana claimed both the wickets. Opener Sedezhalie (15) and number 4 Nitesh (49) finished unbeaten to see Nagaland through.
Nagaland won 5 out of 8 outings winning all its matches against the NE states- Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, while losing narrowly to Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Bihar.
The performance would boost the state team’s morale ahead of the Ranji Trophy slated to begin in October. Nagaland will host Mizoram on November 1 at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Sovima.
