Meghalaya crushes Sikkim by 9 wickets;
Arunachal stuns Mizoram in thriller
DIMAPUR, MAY 10 (MExN): Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh registered their first wins in the 3rd North East Cricket Development Committee (NECDC) Senior Men’s Interstate Friendship Tournament 2025 with contrasting victories on Day 2 of the competition held in Dimapur, Nagaland.
While Meghalaya cruised to a dominant 9-wicket win over Sikkim at Sovima Cricket Ground, Arunachal Pradesh edged past Mizoram by 7 runs in a tense finish at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium.
Meghalaya opted to field after winning the toss and made early inroads to restrict Sikkim to 150 all out in 40 overs. Ankur remained unbeaten on 46 off 55 balls while Ashish Thapa chipped in with 40, but the innings lacked momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Ram Gurung (3/21) and Akash (3/28) led the bowling attack with tight spells, dismantling Sikkim’s middle order.
In reply, Meghalaya chased down the target comfortably in 24.3 overs, finishing at 151/1. Arpit Bhatewara anchored the innings with a composed 55* off 63 balls, while Akash capped his all-round performance with a blistering 53* off 40 deliveries.
Akash was named Player of the Match for his three-wicket haul and unbeaten half-century. At the Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Arunachal Pradesh held their nerve to clinch a narrow 7-run win against Mizoram in a low-scoring contest.
Put in to bat first, Arunachal managed 155 in 45.4 overs, with Techi Doria top-scoring with 23 off 48 balls. Mizoram’s Johan Lalbiakkima impressed with a spell of 4/15 in 8.4 overs.
Mizoram’s chase was anchored by K Vanrotlinga’s 39 off 39 balls, but consistent pressure from the Arunachal bowling attack derailed their innings.
Nabam Dol emerged as the match-winner, claiming 5/23 in 9.5 overs to bowl out Mizoram in the 44th over. His decisive spell earned him the Player of the Match award.
On May 9, Manipur registered a dominant 100-run victory over Arunachal Pradesh in the third NECDC Senior Men’s Interstate Friendship Tournament, held at Sovima Cricket Ground.
Upcoming Fixtures – May 12
• Nagaland vs Sikkim –
Nagaland Cricket Stadium @ 9 AM
• Manipur vs Mizoram –
Sovima Cricket Ground @ 9 AM
