Sikkim, Mizoram win on opening day of NECDC women’s tournament

GANGTOK,: Mizoram secured a three-wicket victory over Manipur in a low-scoring contest, while hosts Sikkim began their campaign with a dominant 67-run win against Meghalaya on the opening day of the NECDC Under-23 Women’s Inter-State Tournament at Sikkim Cricket Ground in Rangpo on Monday.

Hosted by Sikkim Cricket Association for the second straight year, the flagship women’s competition of the North East Cricket Development Councilhas adopted an Under-23 format this year, aiming to strengthen the developmental pathway in women’s cricket across the region.

In the opening match, Manipur won the toss and opted to bat first but things didn’t go according to their plan as they managed only 70 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Mizoram’s disciplined bowling attack was led by Thelma and ZothanmawiiRokhum, who claimed two wickets each.

Chasing a modest target, Mizoram suffered an early setback as ThoudamMangalsana removed both openers in the first over. However, captain HmangaihsangiSyhlo anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 28, guiding her side to victory in 19.2 overs. She was later named Player of the Match. KonsamSayatombi Devi impressed with figures of 3 for 16 for Manipur, but her efforts went in vain.

In the second match, Sikkim delivered a strong all-round performance to outclass Meghalaya by 67 runs.

Leading from the front, skipper Nandika Kumari scored an unbeaten 78 to power Sikkim to 151 for 4.She shared key partnerships, including a 44-run opening stand with Samayita Roy Prodhan, who scored 36, and further crucial contributions with Dikcha Gurung and Namreeta Rai.

Meghalaya’s chase never gained traction as they lost three early wickets with just four runs on the board. Namreeta Rai struck twice in successive deliveriesto dent the innings, and despite a brief recovery through a 35-run stand between Monica (17) and Jayshree Singh (10), Meghalaya were restricted to 84-9.

Namreeta Rai and Diya Gurung picked up three wickets each to seal a comprehensive win for the hosts.

The tournament features six teams divided into two groups. Group A comprises Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, while Group B includes Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Sikkim. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on April 9, with the final scheduled for April 11.