the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa went down to Hyderabad by five wickets in their opening fixture of the U-23 Men’s Tournament at Dehradhun on Thursday.
Batting first, Goa posted a modest 225 in 49.2 overs. On song, Hyderabad new ball bowler, Raja Mani Prasad in the 10th over registered a hat-trick dismissing opener Ishaan Gadekar 6(28), Manthan Khutkar (0) and captain, Suyash Prabhudessai (0) to have Goa on the mat at 30/3. The other opener Vaibhav Govekar 28 (48) briefly resisted the havoc around him, with Goa reeling at 112/8 and an early close to the innings imminent.
But Nihal Surlaker walking in at number nine had other plans. His counter-attacking knock of 105 from only 83 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and studded with six maximums resuscitated the innings to a semblance of respect. Providing him able support was Dheeraj Yadav who made 25 (46b) until he lost his wicket with a ninth-wicket stand realizing 81 runs. The last man, Amit Mishra batted out 24 runs without a run but more importantly enabled Goa to add 32 runs for the last wicket until Surlaker was run out with four balls left in the innings. In the Hyderabad attack, Raja Mani Prasad stood out with returns of 3/25 from his completed quota.
Chasing a low target, Hyderabad was precariously placed at 91/5 at the end of 27 overs. But with one-down, Shreyas Vala batting solidly in making an unbeaten 68 (119b, 3x4, 1x6) with Vittal Sairam at ease on an unconquered 68 (70b, 6x4), Hyderabad cruised to a five-wicket win with an unconquered sixth-wicket partnership of 136 and 13 deliveries to spare. Goa next play Uttarakhand on Saturday.
