Ranji Trophy Plate: Dhapola shines as Uttarakhand defeats Sikkim

Uttarakhand jumped to the top of the Plate Group table with a thumping innings and 178-run win over Sikkim in a Ranji Trophy fixture on Friday.

Deepak Dhapola claimed 4-44 to help Uttarakhand secure a third win on the trot.

Uttarakhand jumped to the top of the Plate Group table with a thumping innings and 178-run win over Sikkim in a Ranji Trophy fixture on Friday.

Overnight 27-2 after following on, Sikkim folded for 140 in just 48.5 overs with Deepak Dhapola claiming 4-44 to help the team secure a third win on the trot. Uttarakhand bagged seven including a bonus point to consolidate its position atop the standings with 20 points from three matches.

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Meghalaya (13 points) also climbed past Sikkim on net run rate, following its six-wicket win over Nagaland in Shillong with left-arm spinner Aditya Singhania bagging his maiden five-wicket haul.

Sikkim batsmen provided hardly any resistance with eight of their batsmen failing to get even double digits.

It was once again Milind Kumar who waged the lone battle and top-scored with his 61 from 68 balls. The former Delhi batsman had scored 133 in the first innings for his third successive triple-digit score.

But after Dhopola dismissed him in the 44.2 overs it was just a matter of time as the last four added just eight runs to cap a humiliating defeat at their adopted home venue here.

In Shillong, left-arm spinner Singhania’s impressive 5/52 helped Meghalaya bowl out Nagaland for 371 following-on.

Set a target of 89, Meghayala had a jittery start to be 12/3 inside five overs but Puneet Bisht steered the team to victory with an unbeaten 34.

Earlier resuming on 332/8, Nagaland managed to add just 39 runs and folded their second innings after Arbar Kazi departed for a valiant 164 (208 balls; 18x4, 4x6), becoming Singhania’s fifth victim.

Summarised scores

In Bhubaneswar: Uttarakhand 582/9 declared. Sikkim 264 and following-on 140; 48.5 overs (Milind Kumar 61; Deepak Dhopola 4/44, Malolan Rangarajan 2/11, Vaibhav Panwar 2/25). Uttarakhand won by an innings and 178 runs. Points: Uttarakhand 7. Sikkim 0.

In Shillong: Meghalaya 389 and 91/4; 21.4 overs (Puneet Bisht 34 not out; Pawan Suyal 2/18, Tahmeed Rahman 2/41). Nagaland 106 and following on 371; 114.2 overs (Arbar Kazi 164, Sedezhalie Rupero 68, Paras Sehrawat 57; Aditya Singhania 5/52). Meghalaya won by six wickets. Points: Meghalaya 6 points, Nagaland 0.

In Puducherry: Puducherry vs Bihar. No result. Points: Puducherry 1, Bihar 1.