Cricket: Nagaland Senior Men’s Inter-District Tournament 2025 underway

The Senior Men’s Inter-District One-Day Cricket Tournament 2025, organized by the Nagaland Cricket Association (NCA), commenced on Thursday at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium and Sovima Cricket Ground, Chümoukedima. The tournament features eight participating districts, divided into two groups.

Competing in a round-robin format, Group A consists of Niuland, Tseminyu, Kohima, and Dimapur, while Group B includes Chümoukedima, Wokha, Mon, and Mokokchung.

On the opening day, Group A saw a clash between Niuland and Tseminyu, while Group B featured a match between Chümoukedima and Wokha.

Niuland crushes Tseminyu by 214 runs in rain-affected clash

Niuland delivered a dominant performance, securing a commanding 214-run victory over Tseminyu in a rain-affected match at Nagaland Cricket Stadium, Chümoukedima. The game saw interruptions due to weather, leading to a reduction in overs, with the match limited to 36 overs.

After winning the toss, Niuland opted to bat first and made the most of their opportunity, posting an imposing total of 289/6 in 36 overs. Wahid Ali starred with the bat, playing a match-defining knock of 97 runs off 80 balls. His innings was complemented by Afzal Choudhury, who added a valuable 69 runs off 67 deliveries. Despite efforts from Tseminyu’s bowlers, Henry Kent and Kechesin Keppen, who took two wickets each, they struggled to contain the aggressive batting display.

Chasing a mammoth target of 290, Tseminyu faltered under the pressure and was bundled out for just 75 runs in 20.1 overs. Selo Apon top-scored with 17 runs off 12 balls, while Sinilo Kent managed 13 off 16. Niuland’s bowling attack, led by Akavi A Yeptho, proved too strong, with Yeptho claiming four wickets for just 14 runs in 4.1 overs to dismantle Tseminyu’s batting lineup.

For his crucial contribution with the bat, Wahid Ali was named Player of the Match.

Chümoukedima edges past Wokha in hard-fought 21-run victory

Chümoukedima clinched a 21-run victory over Wokha in another rain-affected match at Sovima Cricket Ground. In a low-scoring yet fiercely contested encounter, with the match reduced to 20 overs per side, Chümoukedima’s disciplined bowling unit successfully defended a modest total to secure their first win of the tournament.

After winning the toss, Chümoukedima opted to bat first but struggled to build momentum, managing 104/9 in 20 overs. Mughavi Sumi top-scored with a gritty 32 off 41 balls, while Neizekho Rupreo added an unbeaten 19 off 12 balls in the latter stages. Despite their efforts, Chümoukedima found it difficult to accelerate, largely due to an outstanding bowling performance from Wokha’s W Thechamo Odyyo, who returned remarkable figures of 4/7 in 4 overs.

Chasing 105 for victory, Wokha failed to capitalize on the relatively low target and was bowled out for 83 in 20 overs. Lijanbemo Patton provided resistance with 25 off 24 balls, and Nzanthung Mozhui chipped in with 22 off 27, but the rest of the batting lineup faltered under sustained pressure from Chümoukedima’s bowlers. Neizekho Rupreo delivered a match-winning performance, taking 4 wickets for 17 runs in 4 overs, while Jonathan Rongsen was equally lethal, claiming 4 wickets for just 7 runs in his spell.

For his all-round display with both bat and ball, Neizekho Rupreo was named Player of the Match.

Friday’s Fixtures
Kohima Vs Dimapur – Nagaland Cricket Stadium

Mon Vs Mokokchung – Sovima Cricket Ground