MARGAO
MLT PDK Kings beat Salcete Stallions by 28 runs in convincing style in Desserts n More Sarsangan Super Series Cricket at Arlem cricket ground.
Put in to bat first, MLT PDK Kings lost both their openers inside the first 4 overs with the score reading 14-2, with the two young Stallions Samprabh Phaldesai and Siddhant Kunde making full use of the early morning moisture favouring seam bowling, picking a wicket apiece.
A brisk 75 run partnership in 52 balls between Sarvesh Prabhugaonkar 28 ( 3 x 4s) and the young southpaw Mehank Dharwadkar 49 (30 balls, 2 x 4s, 3 x 6s) helped resurrect the innings of the MLT PDK Kings. Ved Mahambrey, captaining the side in the absence of their regular captain Sumiran Amonkar, made 15 and in the company of Animesh Prabhugaonkar 21 (10 balls, 2 x 4s, 1 x 6s) helped the Kings to put a decent 167 as they folded up in 19.5 overs, with the last 5 batters failing to cross double figures. Siddhant Kunde 2-19 and Samprabh Phaldesai 2-25 were the most successful bowlers while Pratap Prabhugaonkar, Sahish Mahambrey and Rajaram Kundaikar picked a wicket each.
Needing 168 to win, Stallions were rocked by the express pace of Mehank Dharwadkar as he picked 2 wickets to leave the Stallions in disarray at 26-2 in the 5 th over. A comforting 44 run partnership between Atchut Naik Dalal 50 (7 x 4s) and Saaiel Kossambe 18 (1 x 6s, 1 x 4s) kept the Stallions in the hunt as they reached 70 in the 10 th over. An acrobatic catch of Saaiel by Animesh Prabhugaonkar off the bowling of Ved Mahambrey broke not just the partnership but also the momentum of the Stallions.
None of the Stallions batters could stand up to the innocuous bowling of the Kings as only Rajaram Kundaikar 10 and Sahil Neurenkar 17 could manage double figures, as the Salcete Stallions folded up for 139, thus giving credence to the speculation that their success is solely dependent on their one man army Durgesh Prabhugaonkar.
Mehank Dharwadkar did his reputation no harm, as one of the most promising allrounders on the circuit, with match figures of 4-0-22-3. Animesh Prabhugaonkar’s miserly spell of 4-0-12-2 was complimented by Ved Mahambrey picking 2-31 and Vibhav Pai 1-12.
Mehank Dharwadkar was awarded the Desserts n More Man of the Match medal and the Estilo Moderno Realty Man of the Match trophy along with a cash prize of Rs.2000 for his brilliant all round display for the MLT PDK Kings. The presentation was done by Parai Dubashi, Aashish Naik Raikar, Mahesh Kamat, Siddesh Sinai Amonkar, Shravan Dubashi and Vibhav Pai in the presence of Gomakant Mahambrey.
