A brilliant unbeaten half-century by Athashree Shivarkar and a five-wicket haul from Pooja Kalel powered Goa to an 18-run victory over Himachal Pradesh in the U-19 Women’s Inter-State T20 Tournament for the Siechem Trophy in Puducherry (SLIMS Ground) on Friday.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Goa posted 130 for four in their allotted 20 overs. Athashree anchored the innings with an unbeaten 66 off 53 balls, which included eight fours and a six. Usma Khan contributed 24 runs, while Pooja Kalel remained unbeaten on 10.
Chasing a target of 131, Himachal Pradesh failed to build momentum against Goa’s disciplined bowling attack and were bowled out for 112 in 18.5 overs. Archna Thakur top-scored with 21 runs, while Yukti Kumari added 17.
Pooja Kalel was the standout performer with the ball, claiming five wickets for just 15 runs in 3.5 overs. Nikhila Naik provided excellent support, picking up three wickets for only eight runs in her three-over spell. The all-round performance helped Goa maintain control of the contest and register an important 18-run victory in the league match.
Brief Scorecard
Goa, 130/4 in 20 overs (Nikhila Naik 2, Rakshanda Kalangutkar 9, Athashree Shivarkar Not Out 66, Usma Khan 24, Muskan Sab 5, Pooja Kalel Not Out 10, Extras 14, Bowling – Swastika Kanwar 2/16, Riya Sharma 1-14)
Himachal Pradesh, 112/10 in 18.5 overs (Anahita Singh 4, Archana Thakur 21, Himani Sharma 15, Paavani Singh 15, Dhanya Sharma 7, Saainaa Chauhan 12, Yukti Kumari 17, Swastika Kanwar 2, Mannat Kaur 1, Swara 1, Riya Sharma 1, Extras 16, Bowling – Pooja Kalel 5/15, Nikhila Naik 3/8, Prachi Nikam 1/22, Vidhi Bhandare 1/18)
Jharkhand outclass Goa
Jharkhand U19 Women delivered a dominant all-round performance to defeat Goa by 56 runs. Opting to bat first, Jharkhand posted a strong total of 152/3 in 20 overs. Star batter Kumari Palak anchored the innings with a brilliant, unbeaten 68 off 53 balls, supported by skipper Priyanka Luthra’s steady 30 off 31, Prachi Pradhan’s late cameo of 22* off 16, and Aanya Verma’s 15 up top.
In response, Goa struggled to keep up with the required run rate against a disciplined bowling attack. Usma Khan top-scored with 21 off 42 balls, alongside contributions from Joya Meer (13*) and Athashree Shivarkar (12). However, Jharkhand’s Isha choked the run flow with impressive figures of 2/10, backed by tight spells from Priyanka Luthra (1/10), Ishika Deepak (1/15), and Kumari Palak (1/25) to restrict Goa to 96/5.
Brief Scorecard
Jharkhand: 152/3 (20.0 overs) | Kumari Palak 68* (53), Priyanka Luthra 30 (31), Prachi Pradhan 22* (16), Aanya Verma 15 (24); Nikhila Naik 1/20, Vidhi Bhandare 1/30
Goa: 96/5 (20.0 overs) | Usma Khan 21 (42), Joya Meer 13* (17), Athashree Shivarkar 12 (15); Isha 2/10, Priyanka Luthra 1/10, Ishika Deepak 1/15, Kumari Palak 1/25.
