Estilo Legends will meet Retro Strikers in final of Zooter Goa Super League at Panjim Gymkhana ground on April 30.
In the semi-finals played on Sunday, Estilo Legends overcame a stiff challenge from the battling Baale Tigers by 21 runs, before Retro Strikers scored a nervy one-wicket victory over Naroo Panthers in the second semis.
In a blockbuster of a run-fest to start the day, Estilo Legends’ mammoth total of 212/8 was under a threat for a long time before the gallant Baale Tigers ran out of steam at the fag end to finish on 191/9 in the allotted 20 overs.
Sent into bat, Estilo Legends fired on all cylinders with opener Sachin Sardesai (35 off 29 balls; 4×4) and No 3 batter Aditya Naik (35 off 24 balls; 4×4, 1×6) setting the tone with the second-wicket partnership of 62 runs in 46 balls.
Legends were placed comfortably at 87/3 at the end of 10 overs and added 44 more runs to the total in the next five overs, losing two more wickets in the process one being of team owner Dr Sagar Salgaocar (17).
The last five overs brought 81 runs as Legends unleashed power-hitting of a very high level. Shailesh Miskin plundered 38 runs off 18 balls, which were studded with four boundaries and two sixes before man-of-the match Basu Madar rubbed salt onto the Tigers injuries with 13-ball 35 (1×4, 4×6) that took the total beyond the psychological milestone of 200-run mark. Dependable batter Chandrakant Ghadi remained not out on 26 from 13 balls that saw him hit three boundaries and a sixer, and combine with Basu for the precious 60-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Baale Tigers bowlers Kiran Shirvoikar, captain Naresh Parsekar and Jamir Carol took one wicket each.
With the asking run-rate being above 10 runs per over, Baale Tigers openers Sunil Rathod and Tushar Narvekar made their intentions clear very early. They hammered 20, 16 and 15 runs in the second , third and fourth over to raise 50 on the scoreboard in the fourth over. Sunil was more aggressive and struck three boundaries and sixers each in his 16-ball 35 runs in the opening stand of 59 runs. Tushar contributed 38 runs off 22 balls, which comprised six boundaries and when he retired, Baale Tigers were placed handsomely at 97/2 in 8.4 overs.
The batters that followed showed a positive approach but Dhilan Shah (21) and Samir Sawant (13) did not last long. Baale Tigers generated fresh impetus when Kiran Shirvoikar launched another big attack, scoring 40 runs of 22 balls (5×4,2×6). He and Dattesh Priolkar (19 not out) combined for a 42 runs partnership in 26 balls for the fifth wicket and the team’s hopes were alive again. But Legends struck back with crucial wickets in 17th and 18th overs by virtue of good catching by Vinod Wilson in the outfield, and Tigers were reigned in, pushing the last-over ask to 27 runs with just one wicket in hand. Only five runs came in the final six balls and Legends were more relieved than pleased as they had been given a real scare by the brave Tigers.
Vinod Wilson (3/16) and Basu Madar (1/18) were bowled well for Estilo Legends, while Vinay Palekar and Haydar Carol also picked a wicket each.
In the second semis, Retro Strikers almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory before recovering in time to edge out the fighting Naroo Panthers.
Chasing the victory target of 153, Retro Strikers were placed for a comfortable finish at 146/6 in 16.2 overs after captain and man-of-the match Pranav Biche top-scored with 39 runs off 20 balls (3×4, 3×6) while Robin D’Souza contributed a quickfire 26 runs of 13 balls (4×4, 1×6) to set up Strikers on the path to victory with the fifth-wicket partnership of 51 runs off 24 balls. Sunny Kamat made a handy contribution of 21 runs.
However, the wicket of Siddharth Ghanekar (19 runs off 15 balls) in the 17th over adjudged lbw to Panthers’ skipper Mukhtar Kadri, sparked a mini-collapse in the chasing camp.
Anand Majalikar bowled measured spin deliveries to pick up wickets of Gautam Kankonkar and Rohit Mehta on successive balls in the 18th over to take the match into a tense phase as Strikers stumbled to 149/9 in 17.4 overs. However, Amlon Dsouza (7 not out) and Rohan Badave (1 not out) held on under pressure to take their team to 155/9 in 19 overs. Panthers’ Kadri took two wickets while Sapresh Mulvi, Samir Parab, Mrunmay Das and Siddhesh Alvenkar picked up a wicket each.
Earlier put into bat, Naroo Panthers posted a fighting total of 152/9 with Vishwajeet Gaonkar being their top run-getter with 29 runs off 20 balls, which included four boundaries. Kadri scored 24 runs, Switesh Verenkar contributed 18 runs and team owner Ilyas Naroo made 17 before lower-order batter Sapresh scored 15 runs off seven balls with two boundaries and a sixer to push the total beyond the 150-mark. Strikers bowlers Sunny Kamat, Amlon, Ninad Pawaskar took two wickets each.
