9th MNCA Elite Tournament : PTRC beat REYS to cap league campaign with 19-point lead at top, book qualifier slot
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 26 2025: PTRC, Patsoi Part IV defeated REYS, Nagamapal by 4 wickets to finish their league campaign in the 9th MNCA W Prahlada and W Ramananda Elite Tournament 2024-25 unbeaten and consolidated themselves on top of the table with an unassailable 19 points lead.

REYS opted to bat first this morning after winning the toss at Lairenjam Public Ground but were dismissed for 144 runs in 38.2 overs as Konthoujam Bishworjit and Pheiroijam Jotin shared a bulk of 8 wickets.

9th MNCA Elite Tournament

PTRC then fought their way to the target in 29.5 overs with four wickets left leaving a dent to the top four hopes of REYS.

The win helped PTRC open a gap of 5-point lead at the top of the table above CYCLONE who are second on 14 points off 8 matches.

Except for Laishram Kiran's fighting 41 off 65 balls, REYS never looked comfortable with the bat as Jotin and Bishworjit and Chingakham Bidash kept troubling the line up.

Bishworjit returned with the best bowling figures of 4/27 in his spell of 8 overs as Jotin closely followed with a haul of 4/26 in 7.2 overs and Chingakham Bidash collected two scalps (2/20 in 5 overs) .

In response, PTRC lost RK Rex early in the third over to Yungkham Romario at 21 but Khangembam Santosh and Ngariyanbam Jameson took on REYS bowlers to bring their team back into the game with a remarkable second wicket partnership.

In the process, they collected 81 runs off 112 balls to take PTRC past the 100-run mark before Santosh was bowled out by G Dingku in the 22nd over.

Incoming Ngariyanbam Johnson too was trapped lbw soon by Dingku on 1 in the 24th over but Jameson held on to complete his century with a four off Dingku's third delivery in the 26th over before he holed out to Md Basir three balls later as the scoreboard read 129 .

PTRC further slumped to 138 for 6 in 29.1 overs as Sapam Bikash trapped incoming Chingakham Bidash lbw on 2 for the fifth wicket and Dingku got rid of Jotin on 20 for the 6th wicket and completed his haul of four wickets (4/35) .

Despite the fall of crucial wickets, damage was already done and Bishworjit 2 and Loitongbam Shitaljit 5 took the honour to finish off the chase within next four deliveries.

Pheiroijam Jotin who picked four wickets and added 20 runs in the chase was adjudged player of the match.

Elsewhere at Moijing Public Ground, CRAU beat KCC, Kongba Bazar by 17 runs to further distance themselves from relegation zone.

CRAU got bowled out for 144 runs in 37.5 overs after opting to bat first but successfully defended the lowly total by bundling out KCC for 127 runs in the same 37.5 overs thanks to brilliant bowling performances from Lamabam Ajay (3/10 in 8 overs), Khumanthem Prakash (3/36 in 8 overs) and Thongam Joychandra (2/9 in 2.5 overs) .

Choosing to bat first, CRAU were in a spot of bother being reduced to 19/6 in 10.3 overs with Sunil Salam of KCC running riot by four wickets including two in the 11th over and Nameirakpam Arbin securing the first and third wickets.

Khumanthem Prakash 36 off 72 balls, Lamabam Ajay 43 off 63 balls and Thongam Joychandra 28 off 16 balls, however revived the innings and took the team near to 150-run mark at the close of the innings.

Sunil Salam returned with the best bowling figures of 4/13 in 8 overs as Nameirakpam Arbin (2/23) and Tayenjam Tomba (2/22) shared the other four wickets.

In reply, KCC too faced a torrid time and lost wickets in regular intervals before they slumped to 127 all out in 37.5 overs.

Lamabam Ajay who produced an allround show was adjudged player of the match.