Shillong, Oct. 21: Meghalaya held their nerve in a tense finish to defeat Manipur by three runs in a Ranji Trophy 2026-27 Plate Group match at the Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) Ground, Shillong on Wednesday, securing their first victory of the season.
Defending a target of 276, Meghalaya dismissed Manipur for 272 on the fourth and final day, with Abhishek Kumar claiming the decisive wicket of Rajkumar Singh, who was caught for 51. The victory marked a significant turnaround for Meghalaya, who had drawn their opening match against Sikkim last week but secured three points by virtue of a first-innings lead.
The contest, which began on October 18, remained finely balanced until the final moments, with Manipur threatening to complete the chase before Meghalaya’s bowlers closed out the match.
Kevin Christopher was the standout performer, earning Player of the Match honours after scoring a century in Meghalaya’s first innings and taking three wickets in Manipur’s second. The innings of 110 was particularly notable as it came in only his second first-class appearance and his first on home ground.
After Manipur won the toss and elected to field, Christopher anchored Meghalaya’s first innings with an assured 125-ball knock. He shared an opening partnership of 147 runs with Arpit Bhatewara, who contributed 54 from 81 deliveries, including eight boundaries and a six.
Swastic Chettri, who had remained unbeaten on 63 at the close of the first day, went on to score 84 from 130 balls, striking 12 boundaries, as Meghalaya were dismissed for 380.
Manipur made a promising start in reply, reaching 173 for two at stumps on the second day. But the third day brought a dramatic shift in momentum, with 18 wickets falling as both sides struggled to withstand the opposition’s bowling attack.
Meghalaya’s pace bowlers dismantled Manipur’s batting line-up, dismissing the visitors for 277 and securing a first-innings lead of 103. Abhishek led the attack with four wickets for 60 runs, while P. M. Santhosh and Ram Gurung claimed three wickets apiece for 69 and 78 runs, respectively.
The advantage, however, was far from decisive. Meghalaya were bowled out for 172 in their second innings, leaving Manipur with a target of 276 and setting up a tense final day.
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Resuming at 11 without loss on Wednesday, Manipur lost Bashid Muhammed for 27 to Santhosh but recovered through contributions from Ronald Longjam and Karnajit Yumnam. Longjam scored 43, while Yumnam added 53, helping the visitors maintain their pursuit of victory.
Meghalaya’s introduction of spin proved pivotal. Swastic returned figures of one for five, while Christopher took three wickets for 31 runs, breaking through Manipur’s batting order and shifting the pressure back onto the visitors.
Manipur, however, refused to surrender. Jotin Pheiroijam scored 43 and combined with Rajkumar to add 50 runs for the sixth wicket, keeping the chase alive. When Abhishek dismissed Pheiroijam, the innings began to unravel.
Manipur slumped to 226 for nine, losing four wickets for 28 runs. Aryan Bora contributed to the collapse with two wickets for 59 runs, leaving the visitors dependent on Rajkumar to guide them home.
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Rajkumar continued to resist, with No. 11 Bishworjit Konthoujam providing support at the other end. But the resistance ended when Rajkumar was caught by Ajay Duhan off Abhishek’s bowling, giving Meghalaya victory by the narrowest of margins.
The result leaves Meghalaya at the top of the Plate Group standings with nine points. They will next travel to Nadiad, Gujarat, to face fourth-placed Mizoram in a match beginning on October 26.
