PANAJI
Goa held formidable Bengal to a draw in the Cooch Behar Trophy Elite cricket tournament on Thursday, maintaining their unbeaten run in Group ‘D’.
With 3 wins and 1 draw from 4 matches, Goa has taken its points tally to 23, securing a place in the knockout stage with one league match still remaining. Goa earned 3 points from the drawn encounter, while Bengal had to settle for 1 point. The match was played at Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani.
Bengal declared their second innings at 255 for 9 in 43 overs, setting Goa a victory target of 229 runs. Despite the pitch offering assistance to the bowlers, Goa showed resilience and batted sensibly to finish at 126 for 6 in 74.5 overs, ensuring the match ended in a draw.
Resuming from their overnight score of 185 for 4, Bengal added 70 runs in 12 overs on Thursday but lost five wickets in the process. For Goa, Chigurupati Venkata starred with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 58, while Shiven Borker claimed 2 for 52 and Mihir Kudalkar picked up one. Three Bengal batters were run out.
In Goa's second innings, skipper Yash Kasvankar top-scored with a determined 43 off 98 balls, including six fours. Opener Sarthak Bhike played a gritty knock of 30 off 130 balls. Although Shantanu Nevagi (1 run off 34 balls) and Dishank Misquin (5 runs off 47 balls) could not convert their starts, they held their ground when it mattered. Aradhya Goyal (11*, 57 balls), Mihir Kudalkar (4 runs, 26 balls), and Sai Naik (2*, 27 balls) ensured Goa did not falter in the final session. For Bengal, Rohit Das and Rohit picked up two wickets each.
Goa will play their final group match against Chandigarh from December 16. Earlier, Bengal had posted 325 in 100.1 overs in their first innings, but Goa responded strongly with 352 in 113.3 overs, gaining a 27-run lead.
