Meghalaya post 264/7 on first day against Manipur in Cooch Behar Trophy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 15, 2023

On the opening day of their U-19 men’s Cooch Behar Trophy clash at the MCA Ground in Polo on Friday, honours were evenly distributed between Meghalaya and Manipur. The home team posted a total of 264 runs for the loss of seven wickets in what marks the final match for both sides.

Meghalaya, entering the contest with two victories in away matches against Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, won the toss today and opted to bat under clear skies.

Meghalaya’s first innings witnessed batters losing their wickets after promising starts, with five of the top six contributing to the runs. Shubham Rasaily (48 from 92 deliveries) and Shavian Blah (46 from 68) were both on the brink of half-centuries before being dismissed. The initial four batters fell to catches behind the stumps, either by the wicketkeeper or in the slip cordon.

Despite the early setbacks before lunch, Meghalaya maintained a commendable run rate, scoring between 4 and 5 runs per over in the first session. The Manipur bowlers struggled with accuracy, leading to a significant number of boundaries. Shubham (9x4s), Dipankar Baruah (37 from 42 balls, 8x4s), and Pushkar Raj Singh (25 from 21, 5x4s) showcased their batting prowess.

The scoring rate slowed in the afternoon, but Meghalaya continued accumulating runs. The best partnership of the day, worth 84 runs, was formed by Shavian and Avinash Rai (35 from 105) for the fifth wicket. Unfortunately, both well-set batsmen were dismissed in quick succession, prompting the hosts to adopt a more defensive approach. Kishlay Vishlux (17 not out) and Angkit Tamang (19) aimed to play out the remaining couple of hours. Despite their efforts, Angkit was bowled in the final over of the day after facing 105 deliveries.

Manipur utilized eight different bowlers, with five of them securing at least one wicket. Ilyas concluded the day with the best bowling figures of 2/42. Looking ahead, Meghalaya’s initial target for tomorrow will be to reach 300, positioning themselves strongly in the match.