Ranji Trophy Plate Group : Mizoram hang on with two wickets to salvage draw with Manipur
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 27 2022:
The second Ranji Trophy Plate Group match between Manipur and Mizoram at Jadavpur University Campus 2nd Ground, Kolkata ended in a draw as Mizoram hung on with two wickets left in hand.
Chasing 455 for the win, Mizoram resumed the fourth and final day at 41-1 after having lost Lalhruaizela on 11 yesterday.
Manipur bowlers enjoyed a promising start removing top order batters in regular intervals today but Mizoram withstood late pressure to settle for a draw.
Mizoram had a stuttering start as Vikash Kumar holed out on 26 to Kangabam Priyojit on Bishworjit's second delivery in the 18th over.
Bishorjit then trapped Remruatdika Ralte lbw on 12 reducing Mizoram to 61-3 in 19.2 overs before Kishan bowled out Joseph Lalthankhuma on 1 when it was 89 for Mizoram on the scoreboard.
Mizoram were 96 for 4 within 29 overs as the first session end before Taruwar Kohli and Uday Kaul gave Mizoram a fresh hope in the chase.
Kohli was, however, run out after blazing off a half century (69 off 99 balls) when the scoreboard read 151 but Uday Kaul and Iqbal Abdul gave a middle order flourish hitting half centuries to take their second innings tally past the 200 mark.
Mizoram further slumped when they lost Iqbal Abdulla on 81 in 89.4 overs for the 6th wicket to Bishorjit Konthoujam who also dismissed B Lalnunfela on 1 to reduce Mizoram to 294 for 7 in 98.6 overs.
Kishan Singha then took off Parvez Ahamed on 17-ball duck in the 5th delivery of the 105th overs and Mizoram were still trailing behind by 193 runs with Uday Kaul on 88 not out when the day ended rendering Manipur and Mizoram to share the spoils.
Manipur's Bishorjit Konthoujam finished with the best bowling figures of 4/46 in 21 overs and overall figures of 7/84 as L Kishan Singha scalped thrice for 65 runs in 30.5 overs after having bagged two wickets for 4 runs in the previous innings.
Notably, Manipur who had beaten Arunachal Pradesh by an innings and 25 runs in the opening match had posted 197 runs in 66.3 overs in the first innings courtesy Nitesh Sedai's 95, Narsingh Yadav's 47, Johnson's 24 and Homendro's (21 not out) and bowled Mizoram out for 127 runs within 49.5 overs to take a 70-run lead.
Manipur gathered a massive 425 runs for 9 in the second innings as Al Bashid hit 150, Johnson added 95, Priyojit was not out on 50 and L Kishan Singha managed 46 to give Manipur a 495-run lead on Day 3 .
With the result, Manipur are second on 10 points in Plate group team standings, 3 points behind leaders Nagaland who had won two of two matches so far.
Manipur will play Sikkim in the last Plate group encounter from March 3 .
Brief Scores
Manipur 127 all out (Nitesh Sedai 95, Narsingh Yadav 47; Taruwar Kohli 4/43, Remruatdika Ralte 2/44 ) and 425/9 declared (Al Bashid 150, Johnson 95, Priyojit 50 not out, L Kishan Singha 46; Taruwar Kohl 4/65, Bobby Zothansanga 2/83) .
Mizoram 127 (Iqbal Abdulla 41, Taruwar Kohli 22; Bishworjit Konthoujam 3/38, Priyojit K 3/24, L Kishan Singha 2/4) & 302/8 (Uday Kaul not out 88, Iqbal Abdulla 81, Taruwar Kohli 69; Bishworjit Konthoujam 4/46, L Kishan Singha 3/65) .