PANAJI
Goa suffered a narrow 18-run defeat against Andhra in the U-23 Women's T20 Elite Tournament on Thursday, despite a spirited fightback led by Tanisha Gaikwad at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
After winning the toss, Goa opted to bowl first, and the decision initially paid off brilliantly. Angel D'Costa tore through Andhra's top order, claiming three wickets and effecting a run-out to leave the opposition reeling at a miserable 14 for 4.
Andhra looked in deep trouble, but a remarkable 93-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Hema Roshni (unbeaten 55) and Anjum (53) rescued their innings, guiding them to a competitive 146 for 7 in 20 overs. Angel finished with outstanding figures of 4 for 10 from four overs, while Usma Khan and Sejal Naik picked up a wicket each.
Chasing 147, Goa's reply was steady but slow, reaching 51 for 3 in 9.3 overs. Tanisha Gaikwad launched a counter-attack, smashing 73 runs off 50 balls with eight boundaries and three sixes. However, with little support from the other end, she was left to fight a lone battle. Goa eventually managed 128 for 6 in the allotted 20 overs, falling short despite Tanisha's valiant knock.
With one win and two losses from three matches, Goa have slipped to fifth position in the Elite Group D standings. Their next game is scheduled for November 29 against Jammu & Kashmir, a side that has lost all three of its games so far, giving Goa a golden opportunity to bounce back.
SCORES
Andhra 146 for 7 (Hema Roshni 55*, Anjum 53, Angel D’Costa 4-10) beat Goa 128 for 6 (Tanisha Gaikwad 73, Sejal Naik 1-23) by 18 runs
