PANAJI
Goa captain Tanaya Naik played a superb unbeaten knock of 95 runs to guide Goa to a thrilling 6-run victory over Chandigarh in the Women’s Under-23 Elite One-Day Trophy on Saturday at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy Ground in Dehradun. Batting first in the 50-over match, Goa posted 201 for 8, while Chandigarh were bowled out for 195 in 49.2 overs.
Goa got off to a steady start with Harshita Yadav (35) and Urvashi Govekar (13) contributing some runs, but regular wickets put the team under pressure. In such a situation, captain Tanaya Naik played a composed yet attacking innings, scoring an unbeaten 95 off 118 balls with 12 fours. She received support towards the end from Nirmiti Khanvilkar (6 not out) as Goa reached a total of 201. For Chandigarh, Pushpa Bishnoi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets.
Chasing 201, Chandigarh had a poor start as Sarah (0), Palak Rana (3) and Parushi Prabhakar (6) were dismissed early, putting the team in trouble. Later, captain Aaradhana Bisht (47) and Yashika (42)stitched together a crucial 87-run partnership for the fifth wicket to bring their side back into the contest.
However, despite efforts from Hitanshi (32), Mannu (27) and Aahan Vaid (18) in the final stages, Chandigarh fell short and were all out for 195 runs.
For Goa, Metali Gawandar delivered an impressive bowling performance, taking 3 wickets for 37 runs in 10 overs. She was well supported by Harshita Yadav, Vidika, Pooja Kalel, and Nirmirti Khanvilkar, who took one wicket each. After two consecutive defeats, this was Goa’s first victory in the tournament.
