Vijay Merchant Trophy : Manipur enjoy first innings lead, earn three points from drawn tie with Sikkim
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 08 2023: Manipur U-16 boys enjoyed a 56-run first innings lead against Sikkim in the second Plate group encounter thanks to Md Danish's all round performance before settling with three points as the match at DRIEMS Ground in Cuttack, Odisha ended in a draw.

Manipur, who registered a comprehensive 156 run victory against Mizoram in the campaign opener, were let to bat first and were bowled out for 158 runs in 52.4 overs despite Danish's 50-ball 51 after Hanjabam Donba (28 off 59 balls) and Binson Laithangbam (28 off 56 balls) forged a significant 57 run partnership for the first wicket.

Vijay Merchant Trophy : Manipur enjoy first innings lead, earn three points from drawn tie with Sikkim

The innings saw Parvin of Sikkims sweeping 6 wickets alone (6/28 in 16.4 overs) to leave a huge dent on Manipur while Denree (3/36 in 13 overs) scalped three from the other end including Binson and Y Achouba (20).Bhavya in the meantime claimed the crucial scalp of Danish to reduce Manipur to 140-8 in the 5th delivery of the 43rd over.

Manipur bowlers however put in a concerted effort to bowl out Sikkim for 102 runs in 40.1 overs to take a commanding 56-run lead.

Danish (2/30 in 10 overs including two maiden overs), Rain Urikhinbam (2/5 in 5 overs including two maiden overs), Naesh Hussain (2/28 in 9 overs) and Robinson Sougaijam (2/3 in 2.1 overs) all picked two wickets apiece to set up the collapse as Bisal Ningombam picked a wicket.

Rain found the breakthrough early in the first delivery of the second over as he bowled out Sungfun for 1 and trapped Avneesh for 10-ball duck in a span of four overs to reduce Sikkim to 12/1.Bishal then dismissed Sajid Ali on 11 for the third wicket before Parvin got run out on 2 in the 5th delivery of the 15th over.

Danish then trapped Denree (47 off 68 balls) who came in at fourth for the fifth wicket before bowling out Bhavya on 15 to further reduce Sikkim to 78/6 in 27.5.Naesh and Robinson then took their turns to cut short the innings at 40.1 overs.

In the second innings, Manipur started slowly and were reduced to 28/3 in 10.5 overs with Sikkim's Nekash (2/31) inflicting the early damage but Rain (34 off 64 balls) and Thomsan resurrected the innings with a sensible 121-ball 66 runs partnership for the fourth wicket.

After losing Rain to Bhavya in the 31st over with the scoreboard reading 94, Thomsan carried forward the innings with Naesh to stitch a 75-run partnership off 90 balls before he got run out for 64 for the fifth wicket in the last delivery of the 46th over.

Naesh (42) became the next victim in the next ball as he holed out to Parvin off Bhavya's bowling.

Bhavya finished with the best bowling figures of 3/39 in 12 overs before Manipur declared the innings for 177/8 to give Sikkim a target of 234 runs in the three day tie.

Md Danish kept his cool to keep Sikkim under pressure in their second innings with an impressive four wicket haul (4/25 in 15 overs) with the assistance of Naesh (2/10 in 11 overs), Rain (1/11), Saikhom Kaiku (1/10 in 8 overs) and Thomsan (1/2 in 4 overs) but the match ended in a draw as Sikkim held on with 98/9 in 54 overs (third day) .

Avneesh of Sikkim was the highest run getter in this innings with 29 runs off 125 deliveries while Parvin and Denree added 19 and 14 runs.

With the result, Manipur are on top of the Plate Group table with 9 points and will play second placed Nagaland (on 8 points) in the next match from December 11 .

Brief Scores
Manipur 158/10 in 52.4 overs (Donba 28, Binson, Danish 51; Parvin 6/28, Denree 3/36) and 177/8 declared in 48 overs (Thomsan 62, Naesh 42, Rain 38; Bhavya 3/39, Nekash 2/27) .

Sikkim 102/10 in 40.1 overs (Denree 47, Bhavya 15; Danish 2/30, Rain Urikhinbam 2/5 , Naesh Hussain 2/28, Robinson 2/3) and 98/9 in 54 overs (Avneesh 29, Parvin 19; Danish 4/25, Naesh 2/10) .