Our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI: Displaying an all-round performance, We R North East (WeRNE) emerged champions of the 5th TOPCEM-ASJA Inter-School/Coaching Centre Cricket Tournament, defeating South Point School by 52 runs in the final at the NFRSA Stadium here on Wednesday. The tournament was organised by the Assam Sports Journalists’ Association (ASJA).
This was the third time that WeRNE lifted the championship trophy.
After winning the toss, WeRNE elected to bat first and were all out for 168 in 39.1 overs. In reply, South Point School suffered a middle-order collapse and were bowled out for 116 in 34.5 overs.
While WeRNE skipper Partha Pratim Kashyap led from the front with a brilliant knock of 68 runs, which included 11 boundaries, all-rounder Binoy Krishna Debnath chipped in with a valuable 24 runs. For South Point School, Hriday Das impressed with the ball, claiming three wickets for just three runs in 3.1 overs.
Chasing 169, South Point School’s middle-order batter Dhanjit Barman top-scored with a fighting 51, smashing two fours and three sixes. However, he received little support from the other end as wickets fell at regular intervals. Tailender Hitakrit Kashyap later added a quickfire 24, sharing a 45-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Dhanjit. Opener Hriday Das was the only other batter to reach double figures, scoring 14 with three boundaries.
Left-arm spinner Binoy Krishna Debnath starred for WeRNE with figures of 4 for 14, including a hat-trick, and was deservedly adjudged Player of the Match. He also bagged the Best Bowler and Player of the Tournament awards. Dhanjit Barman of South Point School Academy received the Best Fielder award, while Partha Pratim Kashyap was named Best Batter of the tournament. WeRNE was also adjudged the Smartest Team of the Championship for their overall performance throughout the tournament.
The presentation ceremony was attended by TOPCEM Cement President (Sales and Marketing) Dr Anil Kapoor, former Ranji cricketers Rajesh Bora, Satyagopal Chakraborty and Souvik Das, BCCI curator Mukut Kalita, ASJA founder president Balendra Mohan Chakravarty, ASJA chairman Subodh Malla Barua, president Bidyut Kalita, working president Sushim Ghosh and secretary Imtiaz Ahmed.
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