PANAJI
Goa suffered a six-wicket defeat to Gujarat in their third match of the Men’s Under-23 State ‘A’ Trophy Elite One-Day Tournament played at the Motibaugh Cricket Ground in Vadodara on Thursday.
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Gujarat restricted Goa to 186 runs in 47.2 overs. Goa’s innings saw a few promising performances, with opener Veer Yadav (47) and Chittem Jeevankumar (40) stitching together a solid 55-run partnership for the third wicket. Aryan Narvekar(32) also contributed valuable runs in the middle order. Gujarat’s Bhavya Chauhan was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets.
Chasing a target of 187, Gujarat rode on a magnificent unbeaten century by skipper Ahan Poddar, who scored a match-winning 106 not out off just 91 balls, including 17 boundaries and a six. Gujarat reached the target comfortably in 34.4 overs with six wickets in hand. For Goa, Vinayak Kunte, Kutbudin Jamadar, Anuj Yadav, and Chittem Jeevankumar took one wicket apiece.
This was Goa’s third outing in the tournament. After losing their opener, Goa bounced back with a fine win over Assam. With four points from three matches, Goa remain competitive in Group ‘B’. The team will look to regain momentum when they take on Jharkhand in their next fixture on Saturday, November 15, at the GSFC Cricket Ground, Vadodara.
Despite the defeat, Goa’s youngsters showed fighting spirit and will aim for a strong comeback in their upcoming clash.
