GANGTOK, : The 5th edition of the SICA 'A’ Division Men's Tournament concluded on
Thursday with Irises Cricket Club of Jorethang emerging as champions. They
defeated the Cricket Association of Tathangchen (CAT) by 38 runs in the final
held at Sikkim Cricket Ground, Mining near Rangpo.
Batting
first, Irises Cricket Club scored 267 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 40
overs. LalitYadav starred with the bat, scoring 119 runs off just 71 balls.
Akshay Sain was the pick of the Irises bowlers with three wickets for 36 runs in
eight overs.
In
reply, CAT were bowled out for 229 runs in 38.2 overs. Parth Palawat played a
brilliant knock under pressure, scoring 117 runs off 94 balls, but his effort
went in vain as he lacked the partnerships towards the end.
Lalit Yadav
shone with the ball as well, picking up four wickets for 37 runs. Captain Rahul
Tamang, Aditya Chettri and S. Sarkar supported with two wickets each.
Lalit Yadav
was named Player of the Match for his all-round brilliance (119 runs and 4
wickets). He also received the Highest Scorer and Player of the Tournament
awards. CAT’s Akshay Sain finished as the Highest Wicket-taker.
The
final match was graced by Erung Tenzing Lepcha, MLA, Rinchenpong & Advisor,
Roads & Bridges department, as the chief guest.
Yangchen Doma Tamang,
secretary, Sports & Youth Affairs department, was the guest of honour.
Also
present were the executives of Arunachal Cricket Association, including vice president
Kabak Geda, treasurer Yab Lala and joint secretary Tshering Thapkey. The final was
also attended by members of SICA and district cricket committees.
The
5th edition of the SICA ‘A’ Division Men’s Tournament began on March 16. The
tournament was contested by eight teams divided into two groups, with each team
playing three matches in the group stage. The group stage concluded on March
29, and the semi-finals were held on March 31 and April 1, where CAT defeated
Pakyong XI and Irises Cricket Club defeated Alpine Sporting Club.
The
winner of the tournament received a trophy and a cheque for Rs 3 lakh, while
the runner-up received a trophy and Rs 2 lakh. The prize money was increased by
Rs 1 lakh for both the winner and runner-up this year, a press release informs.
