PANAJI
Goa suffered a 60-run defeat against Jammu & Kashmir in the Men’s Under-23 State A Trophy match played on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Goa's young talents Chittem Jeevankumar and Malhar Naik, with the bat, and Lakhmesh Pawne with the ball, delivered noteworthy performances that stood out for the team.
The match was played at the Motibaug Cricket Ground in Vadodara. Goa won the toss and opted to bowl first. Jammu & Kashmir posted a strong total of 287 all out in 50 overs. Their batter Rydham Sharma smashed a brilliant century, scoring exactly 100, while Basit Nazir contributed a solid half-century with 52 runs. Goa’s Lakhmesh Pawne emerged as the most successful bowler, taking 4 wickets for 59 runs in his 10 overs. Kutbudin Jamadar picked up 2 for 68, and Jeevankumar added 2 for 50. Manish Kakode and Aman Dhooper claimed a wicket each.
Chasing the target, Goa began steadily with opener Malhar Naik scoring a composed 51 off 75 balls, hitting 5 boundaries. Coming in at No. 4, Jeevankumar produced a standout knock for Goa, an impressive 91 off 87 balls, decorated with 10 fours and 2 powerful sixes. However, the rest of the batting order failed to build around these innings, and the team was bowled out for 227 in 43.1 overs. For Jammu & Kashmir, Atif Mushtaq and Asif Muzaffar delivered crucial breakthroughs with the ball.
In the Elite B group standings, Goa now sit in seventh place among eight teams, with 4 points from six matches. Goa will play their final group match against Mumbai at the Darshanam Sports & Education Academy Ground in Vadodara. a crucial game where the Goan side will look to finish their campaign on a stronger note.
