Meghalaya, Manipur and Services register victories on the opening day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Plate Group in Sovima.
DIMAPUR — Meghalaya defeated Nagaland by 18 runs in the opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2026-27 Plate Group tournament at Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Sovima, on Saturday.
The tournament is being hosted by the Nagaland Cricket Association (NCA).
In the opening encounter, Nagaland won the toss and elected to field. Batting first, Meghalaya posted 165 for six in their allotted 20 overs, with Jiwanjot Singh top-scoring with 45 off 37 deliveries, including four boundaries.
Meghalaya made a brisk start through Raj Biswa, who scored 32 off 17 balls, including five boundaries and a six, while Arien Sangma contributed 14 off 10 deliveries before being dismissed by Saurav Kumar in the fourth over.
Josiah Momin added 13 off 20 balls, while captain-wicketkeeper Srinivas Sharath remained unbeaten on 22 off 18 deliveries. Akshay Karnewar provided a late flourish with 24 off 14 balls, including three boundaries and a six, before falling to Anil Gupta in the final over. Akash Choudhary scored four, while Swarajeet Das remained unbeaten on two.
For Nagaland, Anil Gupta claimed two wickets for 37 runs, while Saurav Kumar, Imliwati Lemtur, Nagaho Chishi and Neizekho Rupreo took a wicket each.
In reply, Nagaland managed 147 for four in 20 overs, falling 18 runs short of the target. Captain Hokaito Zhimomi scored 19 off 17 balls before being dismissed by Chengkam Sangma, while Sedezhalie Rupero contributed 18 off 22 deliveries. Tohuka Zhimo managed three runs as Nagaland slipped to 40 for two.
Jonathan Rongsen led the chase with an unbeaten 58 off 42 deliveries, including four boundaries and two sixes. Chetan Bist provided support with 31 off 27 balls, while Nagaho Chishi remained unbeaten on 12 off six deliveries, including a boundary and a six.
For Meghalaya, Akshay Karnewar was the leading wicket-taker with two wickets for 27 runs in four overs. He was adjudged Player of the Match.
Manipur defeat Arunachal Pradesh
In the second match, Manipur registered a 61-run victory over Arunachal Pradesh after restricting the latter to 106 for nine in their allotted 20 overs at Sovima Cricket Ground.
Manipur won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 167 for nine in 20 overs, powered by 72 off 51 deliveries from Ulenyai Khwairakpam, who struck nine boundaries and two sixes.
Manipur made a steady start, with the opening partnership yielding 37 runs before Pheiroijam Jotin was dismissed for 15 off 14 balls. Khwairakpam anchored the innings, while captain Langlonyamba Meitan Keishangbam contributed 31 off 26 deliveries.
Ahmed Shah added 27 off 17 balls, including two boundaries and two sixes. However, Manipur lost wickets at regular intervals towards the end and managed only five runs in the final two overs.
For Arunachal Pradesh, Yab Niya and Darge Bagra claimed three wickets each.
Chasing 168, Arunachal Pradesh struggled to build partnerships against the Manipur bowling attack. Salil Malhotra was the top scorer with 53 off 48 deliveries, including five boundaries, but received little support from the other batters.
Opening batter Techi Doria scored 12 off 18 balls, while captain Neelam Obi managed two. Kamsha Yangfo contributed 14 off 19 deliveries, while the remaining batters failed to make significant contributions as Arunachal Pradesh finished at 106 for nine.
Ulenyai Khwairakpam was adjudged Player of the Match for his 72-run contribution.
Services defeat Sikkim
In the third match of the day, Services registered a six-wicket victory over Sikkim after chasing down the target of 168 runs in 18.4 overs at Nagaland Cricket Stadium.
Sikkim won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 167 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.
Amit Rajera scored 14 off 11 deliveries before departing early, while Parth Palawat contributed 35 off 28 balls. Wicketkeeper Ashish Thapa added 11 off eight deliveries before being run out.
Gurinder Singh anchored the middle order with 42 off 33 balls, including four boundaries and a six, while Satyajeet Bachhav provided a late boost with 34 off 22 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and a six. Robin Limboo added 15 off 14 balls, while Ankur Malik remained unbeaten on three.
For Services, Mohit Kumar, Raj Bahadur, Mohit Jangra, Arjun Sharma and Arun Bamal claimed a wicket each.
In reply, Services made a strong start through Kuwar Pathak and Suraj Vashisht, who put together an 86-run opening partnership. Pathak scored 38 off 31 deliveries, including six boundaries, while Vashisht top-scored with 67 off 43 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes.
Sufiyan Alam contributed six runs, while Mohit Ahlawat added 12 off 11 deliveries. Mohit Jangra remained unbeaten on 15 off 11 balls, while captain-wicketkeeper Nakul Sharma provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 17 off eight deliveries, including a boundary and a six.
Services reached 168 for four in 18.4 overs to seal the six-wicket victory with eight balls to spare.
Suraj Vashisht was adjudged Player of the Match for his knock of 67 runs.