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PANAJI
Dempo Cricket Club beat Geno Sports Club by 25 runs to win the Goa Premier League cricket tournament organised by Goa Cricket Association.
Set a target of 316 to win, Geno were bowled out for 290 with left-arm spinner Darshan Misal doing the most of the damage with a five-wicket haul. Dempo just about managed to clinch the decider as seven Geno batsmen got starts but only opener Sangram Atitkar (50) could post a fifty.
Atitkar and fellow opener Prathamesh Gawas (27, 70b, 4x4) had given Geno a flying start in their chase by the end of second day on Monday. However, resuming on the overnight score of 62 for no loss at GCA Academy ground, Porvorim, Geno lost Gawas, who departed without adding to his score, clean-bowled by Vinay Choudhary.
Geno made steady progress in their chase on Tuesday but kept on losing wickets at key periods. They were reduced to 148 for 5 as Manthan Khutkar (32), captain Sagun Kamat (25) and Reagan Pinto (36) all failed to build on the starts that they got. Pinto played an extra cautious innings and laboured to 36 from 133 balls but got out at the most inopportune moment.
However, Saurabh Bandekar (42, 92b, 4x4, 1x6) and wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul Keni (49, 55b, 7x4, 1x6) played enterprising innings in the lower order to give Dempo shivers. However, Harshad Gadekar removed both the batsmen and helped Dempo clean up the tail with impressive figures of 31-4 as Geno folded for 290. Misal finished with figures of 117 for five that included the key wickets of Atitkar, Khutkar, Kamat and Chirag Khurana. The left-arm orthodox bowler was named as the Player of the match.
Earlier on Day 2, Dempo made a strong comeback in the match by posting 334 in their second innings after they conceded a slender lead to Geno in their first innings. Geno had made 165 in their first innings in reply to Dempo’s 146 after captain Misal won the toss and chose to bat in the decider. Harshad Gadekar was the star for Dempo in their second innings as he hit a belligerent 115 off 110 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and seven sixes.
Brief scores
Dempo CC 1st innings: 146, Geno CC 1st innings: 165, Dempo CC 2nd innings: 334, Geno CC 2nd innings (overnight 62 without loss): 290 all out in 102.3 overs (Sangram Atitkar 50, Prathmesh Gawas 27, Manthan Khutkar 32, Sagun Kamat 25, Reagan Pinto 36, Saurabh Bandekar 42, Rahul Keny 49; Darshan Misal 5-117, Harshad Gadekar 4-31, Vinay Chowdhary 1-96).
