Salgaocar keep challenge alive; Dempo in strong position
PANAJI
In the fourth-round matches of the Goa Premier Division League organized by the Goa Cricket Association, Chowgule Sports Club produced a dominant performance to defeat Panjim Gymkhana by an innings. Meanwhile, the match between Margao Cricket Club and Salgaocar Cricket Club has reached an exciting stage, while Dempo Cricket Club is steadily moving towards victory against Geno Sports Club.
At Chicalim, Panjim Gymkhana had a disappointing outing after opting to bat first and were bundled out for 101 runs. Shubham Desai's incisive bowling dismantled their batting lineup. Shadab Khan fought a lone battle with 45 runs, while Dishank Prabhu Misquin contributed 16. Desai claimed seven wickets to leave the opposition in tatters.
In reply, Chowgule Sports Club compiled a solid 213. Madhur scored 42, Felix Alemao added 37, and Shubham Tari chipped in with a useful 36. Mohit Redkar took six wickets to offer some resistance for Panjim Gymkhana, but Chowgule secured a substantial lead.
In the second innings, Panjim Gymkhana's batting collapsed again, and the entire side was dismissed for just 56 runs. Darshan Misal picked up six wickets, and Shubham Desai took four, helping Chowgule secure an innings-and-56-run victory. Desai, who claimed 11 wickets in the match, was adjudged Player of the Match.
At the GCA Academy ground in Porvorim, Margao Cricket Club posted 293 in the first innings. Deepraj Gaonkar struck an impressive 81, while Umang Gosavi (71) and Aryan Narvekar (39) provided strong support. For Salgaocar, Ruthvik Naik took six wickets.
Salgaocar Cricket Club replied with 216 runs. Yogesh Kauthankar scored 56 and Shaantanu Nevagi added 36. Rudresh Sharma claimed five wickets to give MCC a 77-run lead. After trailing in the first innings, Salgaocar bounced back strongly by dismissing MCC for just 119 in the second innings. Devankumar Chittem top-scored with 65, but Yash Kasvankar's seven-wicket haul dented the innings. At stumps, Salgaocar were 59 for 3, needing another 138 runs for victory with one day remaining.
At the NAPEX ground in Sankhali, Geno Sports Club were bowled out for 121 in their first innings, with Manthan Khutkar scoring 29. In reply, Dempo Cricket Club built a commanding total of 351. Rahul Mehta scored 89, Sarthak Bhike 54, and Snehal Kauthankar 46 to put Dempo in a strong position.
In the second innings, Geno were in trouble at 123 for 5. Manthan Khutkar remained unbeaten on 60, while Nihal Surlakar contributed 22. However, Geno still trails by 107 runs, and the advantage clearly lies with Dempo.
