Chasing a meagre target of 12 in a Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Plate group match, Manipur lost half their side for eight runs before crawling to a narrow victory.
At the Shastri Maidan in Anand, Manipur gained a massive first-innings lead over Mizoram after bowling them out for 143 in reply to their own score of 400. Forced to follow-on, Mizoram put up an improved batting performance in their second innings, but it wasn’t enough to build a sizable lead as Kishan Thokchom’s second five-wicket haul of his career bowled them out for 268.
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This left Manipur with a target of just 12 to win. What seemed like a comfortable victory, however, turned into a major scare. Marema first dismissed opener Ulenyai Khwairakpam for a duck off the second ball of the chase and then removed the other opener, Karnajit Yumnam, for six in the third over, leaving Manipur at 6-2.
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The collapse worsened when spinner Bobby Zothansanga took three wickets in four balls – dismissing Ronald Longjam (0), Rex Rajkumar (0), and Kangabam Priyojit (0) – to reduce the chasing side to a precarious 8-5.
The smallest target successfully defended in first-class cricket is 41, a record dating back to 1794 when the Marylebone Cricket Club were bowled out for 34 by Oldfield.
In the top 20, the most recent instance occurred in 2012-13 when Southern Rocks defended a target of 64 by bowling out Mountaineers for 26 in Zimbabwe’s Logan Cup.
The lowest team total ever recorded in a first-class innings is six, a feat suffered by ‘The Bs’ against England in 1810.
Fortunately for Manipur, the slump was not drastic enough to cause a historic defeat, and they managed to get over the line without further loss.
Manipur currently top the Plate League points table with two wins and two draws, while Mizoram have one win, one draw, and one loss, placing them fourth among the six teams.
