2nd H Biramangol Singh Memorial Trophy ESU thrash Al-Ameen by 7-wickets to bolster quarterfinal hopes

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 4 : ESU, Wangkhei Palace Compound rode on Hanjabam Naoba Sharma's all round feat to crush Al-Ameen by 7 wickets for their fourth win in five Group B matches of the ongoing 2nd MNCA U-23 Men's Haobam Biramangol Singh Memorial Trophy.
Al-Ameen opted to bat first after winning the toss but faced stiff opposition from ESU bowlers before they were dismissed for 137 runs within 33.4 overs courtesy of Naoba and Soibam Sayonba.  ESU then chased down the target in 26.4 overs with 7 wickets left to spare as Naoba and Hanjabam Donba Sharma made major contributions.
Md Sharoz Khan 53 off 58 balls, Md Sagir Ahamed 35 off 35 balls and Md Farooque 30 off 54 balls led the Al-Ameen batting charge as 7 batters ended up getting out on ducks for singles digit scores.
ESU's Hanjabam Naoba returned with the best bowling figures of 4/23 in his spell of 6.4 overs including Sagir Ahmed and the final wicket in the form of Khulakpam Hanif as Sayonba managed three wickets (3/46 in 8 overs) including the wicket of Al-Ameen skipper Md Karim on duck.
Khundrakpam Bishorjit (1/8), Thokchom Simesh (1/31) and Hanjabam Donba (1/29) also managed a wicket apiece for ESU before H Donba 36 off 66 and Naoba 43 off 71 forged  96 runs off 124 balls for the for the second wicket and took the team to sniffing distance of a win.
Soibam Venus 20 not out and S Ronal 2 not out then finished off the chase in 26.4 overs.
Shohel Akter (2/29) and Md Karim (1/35) were among the wickets for Al-Ameen.
H Naoba Sharma was eventually adjudged player of the match.
With the win at Khudeiband Lampak, ESU go second on 8 points off 5 matches behind Al-Ameen who ended their campaign with 4 wins in 6 league matches.
Elsewhere at Model Hr Second and Oriental College playground, Ph Jodash produced a masterful knock of 116 on the back of 11 fours and 8 sixes off just 58 balls to hand CRAU, Khamnam Bazar a 33 run victory over YUCC, Kwakeithel Moirangpurel Leikai in a crucial Group A match.
Courtesy of Ph Jodash, CRAU posted 207/10 in 33.5 overs before Bm Sabakhan (4/25 in 7.4 overs) and Khumanthem Prakash (4/34 in 8 overs) dismantled YUCC batting line up for 174 runs in 38.4 overs.
For YUCC, N Devraj (3/46 in 8 overs) and M Kadamjit (3/50 in 6.5 overs) led the bowling attack before they collapsed in reply despite N Rojit's 81-ball 50 and contributions from L Somraj 27 and N Sanjit 25.
Ph Jodash was eventually adjudged player of the match.