PANAJI
The Goa Cricket Association-organised A Division North Zone 2025-26 tournament concluded with Sunny Sports Club defeating Karimabad Cricket Club by four wickets in the final to lift the title.
In the match played at the GCA ground in Porvorim, Karimabad Cricket Club, batting first, were bowled out for 154 runs in 40.2 overs. Aaditya Kota (51 off 95 balls) anchored the innings with a composed half-century, while Vasu Tiwari (25 off 20) and Siddharth Karpe (25 off 43) made useful contributions. Karimabad had recovered after losing two wickets at 42 runs, but regular middle-order collapses prevented them from posting a bigger total.
Sunny’s left-arm spinner Heramb Shankar Parab delivered an outstanding spell, claiming 5 wickets for 33 runs in 9 overs, while Nilkant Tampore (9-0-27-3) also bowled with precision. Samarth Rane and Harshavardhan Bairgond chipped in with a wicket each.
Chasing 155, Sunny Sports Club reached 158 for 6 in 32.3 overs to seal victory. They got off to a brisk start, scoring 29 runs in just 2.2 overs, but lost three wickets at 65, creating some pressure. In this situation, Abhishek Pawar played a steady and responsible knock, remaining unbeaten on 57 (75 balls, 7 fours). He was well supported by Jeevan Chittem (41 off 35, 4 fours, 3 sixes), while skipper Aryan Narvekar (25 off 41) played a crucial role in stabilising the innings. Pawar, along with Moh Huz (2*), guided the team to victory.
For Karimabad, Anuj Yadav (9-2-33-3) bowled effectively, while Atharva (9-0-34-2) picked up two wickets. However, the rest of the bowlers failed to make an impact.
A key highlight of the match was Sunny Sports Club’s controlled chase, as they paced the innings well despite a modest run rate. Heramb Parab’s five-wicket haul and Abhishek Pawar’s unbeaten half-century ensured a dominant title-winning performance.
GCA Secretary Tulsidas Shetye, Vice-President Paresh Phadte, Director of Coaching Prakash Mayekar, Jitendra Shah, and Ilyas Naroo were present to witness the final.
Brief Scores:
Karimabad Cricket Club 154 all out in 40.2 overs (Aaditya Kota 51, Vasu Tiwari 25, Siddharth Karpe 25, Anuj Yadav 19, Extras 1; Heramb Shankar Parab 5/33, Nilkant Tampore 3/27, Samarth Rane 1/23, Harshavardhan Bairgond 1/11) lost to Sunny Sports Club 158/6 in 32.3 overs (Abhishek Pawar 57*, Jeevan Chittem 41, Aryan Narvekar 25, Extras 8; Anuj Yadav 3/33, Atharva 2/34, Maruthi Huggi 1/21).
