INTER-DISTrict CRICKET
Jan. 10: The all-Assam senior inter-district cricket tournament for the Nurruddin Trophy got under way today with medium-pacer Mark Ingty and middle-order batsman Rahul Roy hogging the limelight with brilliant individual performances.
The Assam Ranji Trophy pacer, turning out for his home team Shillong, captured eight for 64 to restrict hosts Silchar to 157. However, his efforts with the ball were severely dented by his side’s batsmen, who could manage to put up only 90 runs on the board that included 20 penalty runs for Silhar’s slow over-rate.
Silchar’s Subhashis Choudhury, who hit 57 in the morning, took two for three runs, while Niranjan Das claimed four for 26. Purajit Prasad (19) put up some fight for Shillong.
In neighbouring Hailakandi, the hosts rode skipper Rahul Roy’s scintillating 104 to post a mammoth 377 for six. In reply, NC Hills were teetering at the brink of defeat with four for three wickets. Rahul is the son of Assam Cricket Association president and state social welfare minister Gautam Roy.
In another match, Jorhat, playing at home, launched their campaign on a positive note finishing the first day at 208 for seven with useful half-century knocks by Arup Dutta (53) and Pervez Yasser Hussain (50).
Though 14 matches were scheduled from today, two could not take place because of unavoidable reasons. Thirty-five teams are in the fray for top honours. Defending champions Dibrugarh will open their campaign on January 28, while runners-up Guwahati will kick off on February 1.
The Dhubri-North Salmara match in North Salmara went in favour of the hosts after the visitors failed to field a team because most the players were busy with their exams. The Tezpur-Mangoldoi in Tezpur has been rescheduled, said to ACA secretary Bikash Baruah. It will be held on January 16 and 17.
To raise the standard of the meet and finish the matches before the rainy season, the ACA has decided to hold a separate meet — the Nurul Amin Trophy — with four of the semi-finalists and one Rest of Assam team.
