MARGAO
Pai Khot Fighters beat Mapusa Dream Crushers by 5 wickets and 1 ball to spare in a nail biting contest of the Desserts n More +45 Veterans Sarsangan Cricket Series, at Arlem Cricket ground.
Put in to bat first, Mapusa Dream Crushers put up an imposing 169/5 in 20 overs, courtesy a blitzy opening stand of 47 in 5.5 overs by the openers ex-Ranji player Sudin Kamat (51*) and Ashesh Pai Dukle (32). Amit Naik Burye (38), Rajendra Prabhudesai (17) and Mahesh Churi (11*) played useful knocks to help MDC reach 169/5.
For Pai Khot Fighters, Pratap Prabhugaonkar and Amith Kamat picked a wicket apiece.
In reply, Pai Khot Fighters got off to a rollicking start through Sarvesh Kamat (51*) and Shiraj Pai Khot (50*) who put on 87 runs in 9.4 overs for the opening wicket. In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Amit Naik Burye picked 2 wickets in 2 balls to get the Dream Crushers back into the match, with Pai Khot Fighters at 104-3, needing 66 in 49 balls.
However, a late burst by Paresh Prabhudesai (25) and Sandeep Phaldesai (10*) took the Fighters on the cusp of victory.
Needing 1 off the last ball, Pai Khot Fighters would have been eliminated, if the match was tied, giving Delite Titans a place in the finals. However, with the last ball bowled by Abhay Karande signalled a wide, Pai Khot Fighters not only won the match but earned a place in the finals to be played on December 31 against Mapusa Dream Crushers on the basis of a better Net Run Rate with all 3 teams finishing on 4 points each, with Delite Titans missing out Amit Naik Burye (2-29) and Rajesh Colvalcar (1-30) were the successful bowlers.
Sarvesh Kamat, for his brilliant all-round show was awarded the Desserts n More Man of the Match award by Gaurav Kudchadkar in the presence of Gomakant Mahambrey.
