The jubilant Nagaland team after entering the pre-quarter-final stage of the Ranji Trophy for the first time at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 6. (Photo: NCA)
To play Jharkhand on March 12 at Eden Garden
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 6
In a first, Nagaland today entered the pre-quarter-final of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2021-22 season after securing an emphatic 448 runs win over Mizoram at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Nagaland made massive 509 runs in the first innings, riding on the back of centuries by in-form batsmen, Shrikant Mundhe and Chetan Bist, while the bowlers complemented, by restricting Mizoram to just 95 in their 1st innings.
Choosing to start their 2nd innings without enforcing follow-on, Nagaland added another 295 runs in the scoreboard losing 5 wickets, before declaring.
Chasing a huge target of 701 runs, Mizoram could make just 261 in the second innings, and eventually losing the match by 448 runs on March 6.
With this, Nagaland will be facing Jharkhand, which topped its Elite-group H, after defeating Tamil Nadu by two wickets on March 6.
The pre-quarter match is scheduled at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 12.
Nagaland is entering the pre-quarter stage of the Ranji Trophy, the premier domestic first-class cricket championship, for the first time and it remains to be seen whether the team would repeat its unbeaten run in the current season.
As per reports, seven toppers of the Elite Groups have directly qualified for the quarter-finals, while the team with the least points will face the Plate Group topper.
Accordingly, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Karnataka, Mumbai, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have directly qualified, while the eighth team for the quarter-finals would be decided by the outcome of Nagaland-Jharkhand encounter starting March 12.
In the two earlier matches, Nagaland had defeated Arunachal Pradesh by 83 runs and Sikkim by 83 runs.
Meanwhile, the Nagaland Cricket Association’s (NCA) Honorary Secretary Hyunilo Anilo Khing has lauded the successful Ranji Trophy 2022 campaign by the team.
The current team has been the most successful team so far in playing competitive cricket nationally, he told The Morung Express.
He also acknowledged the support and platforms given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in promoting the team in the North-East in the recent past.
Brief Scores:
Nagaland 1st Innings: 509 for 10 in 137.3 overs (S S Mundhe 123, Chetan Bist 119); Iqbal Abdulla 2/107, Taruwar Kohli 2/81 and Bobby 2/81
Mizoram 1st Innings: – 95 for 10 in 33.1 overs (Sumit 33, Taruwar Kohli 32, G Lalbiakvela 14); Raja Swarnkar 5/17)
Nagaland 2nd Innings: 295/5 Declared. (Rongsen Jonathan 113, Chetan Bist 100 not out, Abu Nechim Ahmed not out 46)
Mizoram 2nd Innings: 261/10 in 93.4 overs (Taruwar Kohli, 151 not out, Vikash Kmr 29), Imliwati 4/49, Khrievitso Kense 2/39, R Jonathan 2/68)
Nagaland won by 448 runs
