PANAJI
In the Goa Premier Division League T-20 tournament organized by the Goa Cricket Association, Geno Sports Club and Margao Cricket Club registered victories on Tuesday. Margao Cricket Club (MCC) staged a strong comeback from a difficult situation to defeat Dempo Cricket Club by 4 wickets, while Geno thrashed Panjim Gymkhana by 53 runs.
In the morning session at the GCA ground in Sanguem-Cotarlim, Geno Sports Club dominated their match against Panjim Gymkhana right from the start. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Geno's openers laid a solid foundation. Rajat Shet scored 39 runs off 30 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes, while Veer Yadav added a quick 36 off 26 balls. In the middle order, Nihal Surlkar contributed 27 runs off 18 balls, helping Geno reach 164 runs.
For Panjim Gymkhana, Suyash Prabhudesai took 3 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs, while Abhinav and Amit Yadav claimed 2 wickets each.
Chasing a target of 165, Panjim Gymkhana's batting collapsed completely. Openers Ishan Gadekar and Shardul Shet were dismissed cheaply, and although Shivam Singh scored 22 runs, he received little support from the rest. Geno's Shiven Borkar proved too difficult to handle, picking up 3 crucial wickets for just 9 runs in 3 overs. Nihal Surlkar also impressed with the ball, taking 2 wickets for just 4 runs. Panjim Gymkhana were bowled out for 111 in 17.3 overs, giving Geno a comprehensive 53-run victory. With this loss, Panjim Gymkhana were knocked out of the tournament.
In the afternoon session, Margao Cricket Club edged past Dempo Cricket Club in a thrilling encounter. Batting first, Dempo adopted an aggressive approach. Abhinav Tejrana smashed 67 runs off just 33 balls, including 6 sixes and 3 fours. Captain Snehal Kauthankar added a steady 41 off 36 balls with 5 boundaries, helping Dempo post a strong total of 189 in 20 overs. Heramb Parab and Deepraj Gaonkar took 2 wickets each for MCC.
Chasing 190 was not easy, but MCC's Aryan Narvekar turned the game around with a scintillating innings. He blasted 86 runs off 41 balls, hitting as many as 9 sixes. He was well supported by Deepraj Gaonkar (27 runs) and Chigurupati Venkata (unbeaten 25. Though Dempo's Samit Mishra kept the contest alive with 3 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs, MCC clinched victory in 19.5 overs. This was MCC's second consecutive win, which secured their place in the semifinals.
