DIMAPUR, MARCH 30 (MExN): Day two of the NECDC Interstate Friendship Senior Men’s Tournament saw Manipur beat Arunachal Pradesh at Nagaland Cricket stadium while Sikkim beat Mizoram at the Sovima Cricket Ground.
After winning the toss at Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Manipur opted to bat first and put up a competitive total of 253 runs on the board with Bikash Singh top scoring with 74 runs and maintaining a strike rate of 86.05 in 86 balls.
Md. Basir Rahman (33 runs) played a crafty opening stance and was well supported by a cameo from Jotin Pheiroijam (28 runs) after Manipur lost three early wickets in quick succession in the form of Pukhrambam, Langlonyamba and Ngariyanbam scoring 4,3 and 2 runs respectively.
However it was the blade of Bikash Singh (74 runs) and Md Sultan Karim (53 runs) who did the most talking and put Manipur team with a comfortable total on the board.
Abo Nabam, Yab Niya, Darge Bagra and Techi Doria stitched up 2 wickets each for the Arunachal side while Techi Neri and Myendung Singhpo took a wicket each to get Manipur all out in 49.3 overs.
In the second innings Arunachal team got off to a good start with both the opening batsman Techi Doria scoring 31 runs and Neelam Obi the captain scoring 26 runs. It didn’t last for too long as the disciplined bowling attack from the Manipur team got the better of the Arunachal side and they could manage to muster only 120 runs losing all their wickets in the 44th over.
Kishan Laishram was the pick of the Manipur bowling attack as he struck thrice to pick up the wickets of Neelam Obi, Ngurang and Nabam. Myendung Singhpo (18 runs) and Abo Nabam (11 runs) who remained not out made a spirited efforts to fightback but the target became more farfetched towards the end.
Rajkumar Rex, Bishworjit and Md Sultan Karim picked up 2 wickets each and Ngariyanbam took 1 wicket to settle things for Manipur and winning the match by a margin of 133 runs. Bikash Singh was awarded the man of the match for his 74 runs knock.
In the other match, having being sent in to bat first, Sikkim managed to put up 136 runs on the board as the bowling duo of Rinsangzela and Remruatdika Ralte ran havoc as they picked up 5 wickets of the Sikkim side with the score standing at a paltry 52.
However it was the resilience of Palzor Tamang (36 runs), Lee Yong Lepcha (25 runs) and Jeetendra Sharma (17 runs) who made the board ticking before getting all out for a total of 136 runs in 38 overs.
In the 2nd innings it was another entertainment for the bowling side as Sikkim bowlers Ankur Malik and Palzor Tamang ran havoc through the batting line up of the Mizoram team claiming 6 and 3 wickets respectively.
For Mizoram Zothanzuala (23 runs), Joseph Lalthankhuma (21 runs), Lalhruaimawi (12 runs) and Lalhruaizela (10 runs) were the only players who could up the ante and trouble the scorers before going all out for 88 runs in 39 overs. Sikkim won the match by 48 runs and Palzor Tamang was awarded the man of the match for his 36 runs knock and picking up 3 wickets.
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