Manipur rout Sikkim by 10 wickets to register maiden win

Manipur registered their maiden victory in domestic cricket with a 10-wicket win over Northeastern rivals Sikkim in a plate group match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy One-Day cricket tournament here Thursday.

Medium pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam returned with excellent figures of 7-2-9-3 as Manipur bundkled out Sikkim for 84 in 37.2 overs after opting to bat at the Motibaug Cricket Ground here.

Lee Yong Lepcha was Sikkim's top-scorer with 29 not out from 61 balls, as there were five ducks in their innings with Bishworjit leading the rout, well backed by his fellow bowlers.

Manipur wrapped up the chase in 19.2 overs with Lakhan Rawat (44 not out) and Pukhrambam Singh (30 not out) steering them to their first win after they lost to Puducherry here on Wednesday.

In another plate group match, Pragyan Ojha-led Bihar downed Uttarakhand by five wickets with 75 balls to spare, to register back-to-back wins in successive days and lead the table with eight points.

Ojha's decision to field was vindicated by his attack as Uttarakhand were dismissed for 160 in 43.2 overs at the Shastri Maidan in Anand.

Anunay Singh (3/21) and Samar Quadri (3/37) did the maximum damage, while Ojha returned with tidy figures of 1/29 from his nine overs.

Opener Vineet Saxena hung in with a 127-ball 57 as wickets kept falling around him. The Uttarakhand side led by Delhi veteran Rajat Bhatia (6) could not get a partnership going in the middle.

At Nadiad, Meghalaya also made a memorable debut thrashing Mizoram by eight wickets, chasing down the 155-run target in just 27.3 overs.

Punjab recruit Taruwar Kohli followed up his century the previous day, with 90 from 123 balls, while opener R Lalnukima made 34.

But the rest of the Mizoram batsmen got out for single digit scores to be bowled out for 154 in 43.4 overs.

Meghalaya cruised home with former Delhi wicketkeeper Puneet Bisht remaining unbeaten on 95 from 90 balls, while Jason Lamare was 41 not out in their match-winning 116-run stand.

Summarised scores: