Nagaland scared Andhra before settling for a draw in their final Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match at Nagaland Cricket Stadium in Sovima on Sunday.
Set to score 172 for an outright win, Andhra lost four wickets for 64 runs and settled for a draw. Saurav and Vino G Zhimomi took two wickets apiece.
Earlier, resuming at their overnight score of 85 for four and still 95 behind with six wickets in hand, Nagaland showed great resilience to defy the Andhra bowlers.
Captain Jonathan R (15) fell to Saurabh Kumar and
Hiketo was trapped by Saurabh Kumar for 28 to leave Nagaland tottering on the edge of the precipe at 115 for six.
But first innings hero, Chetan Bist led the Nagaland revival with yet another gritty century. Wicketkeeper Bist who scored a massive 189 in the first innings, continued from where he left.
Bist, who had played for Rajasthan earlier, found an able partner in No.8 bat Imliwati and the duo defied the Andhra attack. They added 75 for the seventh wicket with Bist scoring 41 off 64 balls and Imliwati making a patient 82-ball 34. K V Sasikanth got the breakthrough by having Imliwati caught behind by KS Bharat.
At 195 for seven, Nagaland were still not out of danger but Bist and No.9 bat Nagaho put paid to Andhra’s hopes of a victory with a stunning 140-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Nagaho was the more adventurous of the duo and contributed a handsome 79 off 114 balls with eight fours and two sixes before he was bowled by Tripurana Vijay.
Bist contributed 51 to the partnership and was the last man to fall at 342. By the time, he completed his 100 off 181 balls with six fours and a six. Bist scored 289 in the match and by any account it was a monumental feat for the minnow’s batter.
Vijay finished with five for 104 and Saurabh Kumar took four for 116.
Andhra meet Bengal in quarterfinal
By virtue of their 170-run first innings lead, Andhra took home three points from the game and reached the knock-out stage of the tournament. Jharkhand, Andhra and Vidarbha finished with 31 points each, but Jharkhand and Andhra took the first two places. Andhra will play their quarterfinal match against Bengal.
Facing tough opponents like Uttar Pradesh, Baroda, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, and Nagaland, Andhra managed to finish second in the group. Andhra’s remarkable run showcases strategic vision and collective effort of the Andhra Cricket Association officials.
The ACA Apex Council took a few bold decisions like appointing New Zealand’s Gary Stead as head coach. This foresight transformed the team, fostering discipline, a positive dressing room atmosphere, and peak performances by the players. The team was ably Ricky Bhui, who has completed 10,000 First Class runs across BCCI formats. Behind the success of the team stands the unwavering support of Andhra Cricket Association.
Brief scores: Nagaland 366 and 342 in 104 overs (Joshua 36, Hiketo 28, Chetan Bist 100, Imliwati 34, Nagaho 79; P Vijay 5/104, Saurabh Kumar 4/116) drew with Andhra 536/9 declared and 64/4 in 8.3 overs (Ricky Bhui 20; Saurav 2/34, Vino G Zhimomi 2/29).
Top performers for Andhra in the league matches:
Andhra vs Uttar Pradesh: K S Bharat 142 runs, Sk Rasheed 136 runs.
Andhra vs Baroda: K Sai Teja 4 wickets.
Andhra vs Odisha: Sk Rasheed 140 runs, KS Bharat 93 runs.
Andhra vs Tamil Nadu: Sk Rasheed 87 runs, Saurav Kumar four wickets.
Andhra vs Jharkhand: Abhishek Reddy 247 runs, KV Sasikanth 4 wickets, Saurav Kumar 4 wickets.
Andhra vs Vidarbha: Sk Rasheed 132 runs, KSN Raju 5 wickets.
Andhra vs Nagaland: C R Gnaneswar 227 runs, P Vijay 5 wickets, Saurav Kumar 4 wickets.
