the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa battled hard for a fighting draw against Himachal Pradesh in their Col CK Nayudu Trophy Round VIII “ Elite Group C Match in Dharamshala on Friday.
Resuming at 51/1 in their second essay, still trailing the hosts by 109 runs, the visiting Goa side pulled through to stumps at 384/6 to eke out a fighting point. Opener Vaibhav Govekar, continuing from where he left off in the first innings (128), came to the fore when it mattered the most to strike another fine hundred in the match, scoring 131 (189b, 16x4, 2x6).
Vaibhav’s overnight partner, Shivam Amonkar batted time to make a resolute 36 9129b, 6x4). Amonkar was the first wicket to fall on the concluding day at 139/2 in the 44th over. Shubham Dessai (1) and deposed captain, Deepraj Gaonkar (1) succumbed within a run of each other as Goa slumped to 147/4 midway through the 50th over with the visitors left much to do to save the match.
Middle-order batsman Kashyap Bakle, who played a fine hand in the first innings of 69, played responsibly with Govekar to forge an invaluable fifth wicket association that yielded 79 runs in the rescue mission that took the score to 226 until Govekar lost his wicket at the end of the 70th over.
Goa was now on safer ground with a 117-run lead with five wickets still intact. Captain Vishamber Kahlon, who had endured a lean phase in recent games, struck timely form coming in at number seven, scoring a counter-attacking unbeaten century (101*, 122b, 8x4, 3x6). In company of Bakle (79, 140b, 6x4), Kahlon found a trusted lieutenant to raise a 141 runs for the sixth wicket to assure that the game would peter out for a draw. Achit Shigwan on 4 gave his captain Kahlon (101*) company at the end when stumps were drawn with Goa 384/6 in 105 overs.
For Himachal Pradesh, Jayashodhan V Thakur had the best returns of 2/55. Goa play their ninth and final round match against Haryana at JR Institute of Cricket Technology, Barwala from January 9.
