Players of Jharkhand and Sikkim in action on the second day of the Vijaya Merchant Trophy (under-17) cricket match at the college ground. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Dec. 1: Jharkhand defeated minnows Sikkim by an innings and 115 runs on the penultimate day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy in the under-17 zonal league match at College ground today.

Resuming at 45 for two, Sikkim was bowled out for 102 runs, thus conceding a lead of 188 runs to Jharkhand.

Asked to follow-on, the visitors were bundled out for a paltry 73. Jharkhand scored 290 in the first innings.

Jharjhaknd off-spinner Kaushik Raj Singh made the most of the pitch to get nine wickets by conceding 38 runs only. The youngster claimed four for 17 in the first innings and followed it by 5 for 21 in the second.

Overnight batsmen Dinesh Rai and Namgayal Bhutia failed to stay at the wicket for long. While the former was castled by medium-pacer Ritesh Sinha for 21, the latter was run out while attempting a single.

Sikkim batsmen came and went, thanks Singh who bowled a steady line to pick his wickets.

Bobby Lepcha emerged as the top-scorer with 29 runs. Sikkim batsmen cut sorry figures when Jharkhand skipper asked them to follow-on.

In fact, apart from Dinesh Rai and James Lepcha, others failed to reach double figures.

Seamer Vijender Dev Jha, who bowled well in the first innings, once again displayed good form to remove openers Booby Lepcha and Mukesh Gupta.

Volleball tourney

DBMS and Vig English School will clash in the senior boys? finals of the of the Joga Inter-school Volleyball tournament being held at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, while Motilal Nehru Public School (MNPS) will take on Carmel Junior College in the junior boys? summit clash to be held.

The final in the Plus II boys? category will be played between MNPS and DBMS.

DBMS and Vig English advanced to the finals by posting wins over MNPS and Loyola, respectively in the semifinals, while MNPS and Carmel registered victories over Vig English and Beldih Church respectively.

MNPS also slipped into the Plus II finals by defeating Loyola, while DBMS brushed aside Rajendra Vidyalaya in the other last four matches held today.

Carmel boys opened their campaign in style today by defeated St John?s School 25-9, 25-2 in the first match and later defeated Beldih Church 25-20, 25-6. MNPS beat St John?s in their opening match before defeating Vig English in the semifinals. Vig English School?s had a smooth entry to the senior boys? final by defeating DBMS Career Academy 25-16, 25-5 in their opening encounter and Loyola 25-12, 25-9 in the semifinals.