Meghalaya require a further 189 runs for victory but only have four second innings wickets in hand as their match against Manipur in the Plate Group of the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy will enter its fourth and final day tomorrow.
Play resumed on the third day today in Bhubaneshwar with Manipur on 203/6 in their second innings, leading by 170.
Jotin Pheiroijam continued where he left off yesterday, adding another 77 runs to his overnight score of 101 not out. In all he struck 30 fours and four sixes in his innings of 178.
He was eventually dismissed by Manish Sharma, who was the most successful Meghalaya bowler with figures of 6/110 (match figures of 8/165) over the course of 35.3 overs. Raghav Magotra (2/69) and Rohit Yadav (1/22) were the other bowlers who had some success on a gruelling day.
Manipur were eventually all out for 344, which set Meghalaya a big target of 312 for victory.
Despite a long innings with the bat, Pheiroijam was not done and opened the bowling for Manipur, striking twice in his first two overs to remove the openers. Josiah Momin (13) put up some resistance but he too was dismissed by Manipur’s wonder boy to leave Meghalaya precariously placed on 14/3.
Rescue came, though, in the form of Mrityunjay Bharali and captain Kevin Christopher, who added 108 for the fourth wicket. Christopher was the slightly more aggressive of the two but the pair matched each almost evenly for runs, right up to the point where Bharali was dismissed for 47, another victim of Pheiroijam’s bowling.
Christopher (52 not out) remained until stumps but lost another two batting partners in quick succession, as Meghalaya ended the day on 123/6, with a mountain to climb tomorrow if they are to achieve victory.
