BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO
PANAJI
A doughty 42-run unbroken stand for the third wicket between the Goa pair of opener Sumiran Amonkar (20*, 168b, 220m, 3x4) and middle-order batsman Amit Verma (23*, 121b, 161m, 2x4) ensured that their Rd V Elite Group C Ranji match against Services at Porvorim on Saturday petered out to a tame draw before the 15 mandatory overs were called. By virtue of their first innings lead, the home side pocketed three points, while the visitors had to settle for a lone point.
Resuming at 277/5 with a 202-run lead and an opportunity at a sporting declaration, Services could muster an additional 55 runs while consuming another 18.4 overs on the final day before being all out for 332.
Rahul Singh Gahlaut (overnight on 81) played a significant part on the concluding day with a magnificent 111 (202b, 14x4) to give his side an outside chance of an outright win with their much vaunted new ball attack waiting to unleash itself in the fourth innings. Gahlaut forged an important sixth wicket stand of 60 runs with Nitin Tanwar 27 (52b, 1x4, 2x6) before the latter was claimed by Lakshay Garg in the 91st over at the team score of 295.
Tanwar could have been out on his overnight score of 15 had Garg in his previous over not found guilty of overstepping the popping crease. Tanwar playing with intent in the quest of quick runs for a team declaration, made merry in the next two deliveries he faced off the pacer by smacking him over fine leg for a maximum and following it up with a sweetly timed boundary over the covers.
Handy leggie Amit Verma proved the unlikely bowling hero on the day by completing his third fifer in First Class cricket and three of the remaining visitors’ wickets to fall on the concluding day.
Set a tempting target of 259 in a minimum 69 overs at 3.75 to the over, Goa openers Sumiran Amonkar and Amogh Desai looked like chaff separated from the wheat. And who was what was for all to see. While Amonkar began shaping well from the outset, Desai was struggling to cope with the initial bite of the cherry. Services drew first blood when Desai on 9 (34b, 2x4) was snaffled by Arun Bamal at square leg off Akash Sharma at the start of the 13th over with lunch taken.
Goa by then had crawled to 25/1 with Amonkar at the non-striker’s end on a determined 9 (40b, 2x4). At lunch, Amit Verma admitted with the loss of an early wicket the thought of Goa going for a win was particularly tricky with the opposition’s faster bowlers to be wary off and the spinners, who he was confident could be scored off yet to ply their trade.
Goa at the point needed another 234 wickets from at least 56.5 overs with nine sticks still in hand. Barely had one settled to their seats post lunch, new ball bowler, Sharma claimed his second victim in Goa captain, Sagun Kamat.
Sumiran Amonkar and Amit Verma weathered the stormy winds of swing and seam with guts and gumption. In fact, Verma, on 18, offered a straightforward chance to Navneet Singh at extra cover off slow left-arm orthodox Arun Bamal which was dropped. By then, Verma had consumed 55 balls and the score could have read 54/3 mid-way through the 32nd over of the innings. Once bitten, twice shy was the norm in Verma’s case and he was not to offer another chance closing shop for the day.
Even with the introduction of spin, runs continued to scarcely come by with each of the six bowlers serviced into operation being niggardly. Part-timer, Rajat Paliwal sent down an over too without giving a run with the tell-tale signs of an early close of play not too far away. Stumps were called at 3.29 pm and commiserations exchanged with Goa crawling to 67/2 in 54 overs.
Goa now travel to Agartala to play Tripura from December 14 while Services return home to take on Assam the same day at Palam, New Delhi.
Brief Scores
Services 1st inns: 184 in 71.3 ov, RR: 2.57 (Ravi Chauhan 75; Vijesh Prabhudesai 5/52), Goa 1st inns: 259 in 100.2 ov, RR: 2.58 (Darshan Misal 101*; Diwesh Pathania 5/74), Services 2nd inns: 332 in 103.4 ov, RR: 3.20 (Rahul Singh Gahlaut 111; Amit Verma 5-39), Goa 2nd inns: 67/2 in 54 ov, RR: 1.24 (Amit Verma 23*; Akash Sharma 2/20)
MATCH DRAWN, GOA TAKES FIRST INNS LEAD, GOA: 3 pts, SERVICES: 1pt)
