PANAJI
Goa Ranji Trophy all-rounder Darshan Misal delivered a perfect captain’s performance to guide MCC to a 5-wicket victory over Mandovi Parivar Canacona in the final of Manohar Parrikar Trophy T20 Cricket Tournament, at Porvorim on Saturday night. The tournament was organised by Yuva de Goa in association with Pilerne Cricket Club.
In a tight, low-scoring encounter, Mandovi Parivar were bowled out for 116 in 19.3 overs after electing to bat but made MCC work very hard for almost every run till captain Darshan came to the crease and turned the complexion of the game. The 28-year-old hit five boundaries and three towering sixes in his unbeaten knock of 53 off 27 balls. Darshan also picked 2 wickets earlier and effected a run-out, which earned him the man-of-the-match award.
MCC started the run chase confidently with Suraj Dongre (14) and Manthan Khutkar putting on 23 runs before Suraj was out caught behind in the fourth over off the bowling of highly-talented Goa all-rounder Deepraj Gaonkar. Manthan was then clean-bowled by Sherbahadur Yadav as Mandovi Parivar started to claw back into the game. A charging Deepraj then returned to knock back Aditya Suryawanshi’s stumps and also log in his second consecutive wicket-maiden over.
MCC were reduced to 36/4 when Saish Kamat went for a needless lofted shot and was caught off the bowling of off-spinner Avishkar Mone in the ninth over. In came Darshan with the match poised on the knife’s edge and he began the rebuilding phase in the company of Kaushal Hattangadi (17), who was sent back by Sherbahadur.
At 67/5 in 13 overs, Shubham Desai joined Darshan in the centre with the final still in the balance. With 41 runs required in 30 balls, the duo kept chipping at the target. Shubham remained unbeaten on 16 and in the company of Darshan, who finished the game with a sixer, played his part in guiding the team to victory with an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership of 52 runs as MCC reached 119/5 in 18.2 overs.
Earlier, Mandovi Parivar lost wickets in a heap to lose their way just past the halfway stage of their innings. After the early loss of opener Avishkar Mone’s wicket, captain Snehal coming in at No 3, joined Kashyap Bakhale and the duo batted sensibly to keep the scoreboard moving. Mandovi Parivar were 41/1 at the end of power play and 64/1 at the halfway stage.
Snehal was the aggressor in the second wicket partnership that yielded 71 runs. He struck five boundaries in his knock of 40 runs off 37 balls. Kashyap was the second wicket to fall after scoring 28 runs off 30 balls when on the second ball of the 12th over, he stepped out and tried to attack Shreyas Usgaonkar but only managed a leading edge to be caught at point by Saish Kamat. The talented leg-spinner then got the big wicket of Snehal in the same over as he mistimed one and was caught at deep mid-wicket by Nihal.
Mandovi Parivar never recovered from the double blow and lost two more wickets in the 13th over as Darshan bagged the wickets of a promoted Sherbahadur Yadav and Aniket Desai.
Individual prizes awarded: Man of the Series: Deepraj Gaonkar. Best Bowler: Sherbahadur Yadav. Best Batsman: Aditya Kaushik. Best Emerging Player: Shreyas Usgaonkar.
