Shillong, Dec 1: Meghalaya finished the opening day of their U-19 men’s Cooch Behar Trophy 2025-26 plate group match in a dominant position, bowling out Arunachal Pradesh for 94/6 after posting 205 all out in the first innings at the MCA Ground here today. The hosts hold a lead of 111 runs going into Day 2.

After being put in to bat, Meghalaya’s innings progressed at a brisk pace despite uneven bounce and noticeable movement off the surface. They scored at over five runs an over early on before slowing slightly later, ending with a healthy run rate of more than four per over when they were dismissed in 47.4 overs.

Most Meghalaya batters got starts, though partnerships were broken before they could grow significantly. Sameer Choudhury top-scored among the early batters with 28 off 39 balls, but the home side found themselves struggling at 108/5 before a crucial sixth-wicket stand revived the innings.

Gaurav Jyoti Thakuria (33 off 76, 4x4s) and Rudra Singh Rathore (42 off 40, 4x4s, 1×6) added 56 valuable runs, with Rudra announcing his arrival by dispatching a high full toss for the only six of the innings. The lower order could not capitalise once he departed, but crossing the 200-run mark provided Meghalaya with confidence. For Arunachal, spinner Surya Singh claimed 4/39 in 14.4 overs.

Arunachal’s reply started shakily after they lost opener Patey Tacha to Mewankitbok Kharpuri (1/25 in 9.1 overs) in the fourth over. A 46-run stand between Nabam Rikam (26 off 45) and Deepak Kumar Yadav (28 off 35) followed, but Meghalaya continued to apply pressure, taking wickets regularly.

Angkit Tamang (1/16 in 6 overs) and Gaurav Narleng (2/20 in 6) dismissed the key partnership, and further strikes by Benedict Jones Makdoh (1/15 in 3) and Apandanka Marak (1/17 in 8) pushed Arunachal to 94/6 by stumps.

With momentum clearly in their favour, Meghalaya will aim to wrap up the remaining four wickets quickly tomorrow to secure a strong first-innings lead and tighten their grip on the match.