Ranji Trophy Plate Group Manipur overwhelm Mizoram by 5 wickets, all but qualify for final

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 11 : Manipur overwhelmed hosts Mizoram by 5 wickets for the second win after two drawn matches in the  Ranji Trophy Plate Group competition staged at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Anand.
With the win, Manipur cemented their spot on top of the Plate Group table on 17 points and are one point away from qualifying for the final. Meghalaya are second on 12 points and Bihar are third on 10 points after four games and thus remain in the race for the two final spots.
Resuming their second innings (follow-on) on the final day at 243/8 (after 67 overs), Mizoram managed to add only 25 runs to take an 11-run lead as Bishworjit trapped Khiangte Vanrotlinga lbw on 39 runs for the 9th wicket in the 69th over and  L Kishan Singha bowled out Bobby for the 10th wicket and completed his haul of five wickets.
Chasing 12 runs for the win, Manipur faltered badly and were reduced to 8/5 within 3.5 overs before Al Bashid 3 and Jotin Pheiroijam 1 finished off the chase within 5 overs.
Notably, Manipur, who were put in to bat first, posted a respectable total of 400 runs in the first innings (133.1 overs) courtesy of sensational knocks from Al Bashid 126 off 243 (15 fours, 1 six), Ulenyai Khwairakpam 90 off 187 (13 fours), Jotin Pheiroijam 55 off 106 (7 fours, 1 six), and Y Karnajit 40 off 58 balls (9 fours).
Manipur then bowled out the hosts for a paltry total of 143 runs (in 51.4 overs) in the first innings riding on three wicket hauls from Lamabam Ajay Singh (3/36 in 12 overs), Konthoujam Bishworjit (3/23 in 14 overs), L Kishan Singha (2/10 in 5.4 overs), Jotin Pheiroijam (1/33) before bowling them out for 268 runs (in 73.5 overs) on follow-on.
Spinner L Kishan Singha returned with the match haul of 7 wickets after enjoying a fifer today as his company Ajay Singh managed a match haul of 5 wickets with two wickets coming up in the second innings (2/57 in 17 overs). Captain Bishworjit on the other hand returned with a match haul of 4 wickets finishing with 1/26 in the second innings as Pheiroijam Jotin returned with 2 wickets, one apiece in the two innings.
Al Bashid who produced a crucial century knock for Manipur was adjudged player of the match.
Manipur will host Meghalaya in a very crucial final league round match from November 16 at CK Pithawala Ground, Surat.