PORVORIM: Goa Ranji Trophy all-rounder Deepraj Gaonkar came up with an outstanding performance to inspire Mandovi Parivar Canacona to a 15-run victory over a battling Goa Police in the second semi-final of the inaugural Manohar Parrikar Trophy T20 cricket tournament organised by Yuva de Goa in association with Pilerne Cricket Club at GCA academy ground, here on Friday evening. Mandovi Parivar will take on MCC in the floodlit final on Saturday evening.
Man-of-the match Deepraj scored 44 runs in Mandovi Parivar’s total of 181/7 after captain Snehal Kauthankar had elected to bat. Deepraj then bowled with a great sense of purpose to pick up three crucial wickets for just 24 runs off his four overs, one of them via a sharp return catch to send back captain Chandrakant Ghadi (11). He fielded superbly and also effected a timely run out to swing the match completely in Mandovi Parivar’s favour.
The 23-year-old bowled the second-last over of the match with Goa Police requiring 24 runs off 12 balls with the big-hitting opener Avinash Gawas (73) and hard-hitter Sanjay Naik (14) at the crease.
Deepraj drew a miscued loft from Avinash, who hit eight sixers and two boundaries in his 52-ball knock, to be caught at point by Avishkar Mone. Deepraj then dived to field on his follow-through to run out Sanjay Naik, who was attempting a sharp single. Moreover, just 5 runs came of the over leaving the policemen a daunting target of 19 from the last over. Craig Dourado gave only three runs and Goa Police ended up with 166/8.
Goa Police gave a star-studded Mandovi Parivar a run for their money as the likes of Avinash, Vinod Wilson (23) and Sarvanna (20) hit cleared the boundary rope at ease while Ranji Trophy spinner Amulya Pandrekar (1/42) proved most expensive bowler for Mandovi Parivar, but he bowled one good over at the halfway stage of the inning, picking the wicket of Sarvanna and giving away just a run, to get Mandovi back into the game. This was the end of the second-wicket partnership of 51 runs, which had threatened to take the game away from the ‘Men in yellow’ and set the cat among the pigeons.
Goa Police were still fighting and until a talented Samarth Gawas, who had a knee injury while fielding, looked handicapped to play his natural game and was out cheaply; their fans would have been heartbroken and neutrals left wondering what if the ‘superman’ was his normal self.
Earlier, Mandovi Parivar batsman Kashyap Bakhale scored a good half-century with his 55 runs coming from 48 balls including five hits to the fence. Snehal scored 23 while Robin D’Souza made 20 runs and Avishkar Mone 19.
For Goa Police, Avinash and Ashok Rathod picked up two wickets each while Sanjay Naik and Vinod Wilson took one wicket apiece.
