Panaji: Salgaocar Cricket Club won the Bandodkar Premier League T20 title with a comprehensive 63-run victory over Geno Sports Club in the final at Panjim Gymkhana ground here on Thursday.
Salgaocar CC, who earned a cash prize of Rs 75,000 along with a glittering trophy, were put into bat and posted a mammoth total of 191/8. Geno Sports Club, who were presented Rs 40,000 and runners-up trophy, failed to put up a challenge in the run-chase before being all out for 128 runs in 19.1 overs.
Salgaocar CC were in early trouble as they lost three wickets cheaply before wicket-keeper Aditya Suryawanshi played one of his best knocks in Goan cricket, and was deservingly adjudged the man-of-the final. He paced his unbeaten knock of 84 runs off 43 balls, superbly as the early part of his inning required a careful approach with the team going through a rebuilding phase. With Aditya playing second-fiddle to captain Deepraj Gaonkar, who played positively from the word go, Salgaocar CC consolidated their position with this fourth-wicket partnership shifting gears after the half-way mark where Salgaocar with 68/3 in 10 overs, were in need of fresh impetus.
That is when Aditya changed his approach and targeted the boundary, raining sixers all around the ground. The Goa under-25 batter showed his aggressive streak with a sixer over long-on boundary and then over the extra cover region in the 12th over bowled by off-spinner Mayank Rawat.
Aditya overtook Deepraj in no time and the Salgaocar innings motored along nicely to 110/3 in 13.4 overs when on the next delivery the skipper was out caught behind for a well-made 44 runs (32 balls; 4×4, 2×6) of the bowling of his counterpart Harshad Gadekar after a valuable partnership of 86 runs of 56 balls.
There was no stopping Aditya though as he sparkled in the overcast conditions with an array of wonderful shots. He found an able partner in all-rounder Subodh Bhatti 19 off 16 balls (1×4, 1×6) and they put on 50 runs in 26 balls for the sixth wicket. The young Ayush Verlekar also made the most of his time out in the centre as he struck a four and a sixer in his 3-ball 10.
With an astonishing strike rate of over 195, Aditya’s gem of an inning comprised 10 exquisitely struck sixers and just one boundary and Salgaocar went into the innings break, with a sense of total command in the title clash. Geno’s Aryan Mishra was the most successful bowler with figures of 4/30. Harshad, Amit Yadav and Manas took one wicket each.
In reply, Geno SC needed a good start, especially the strokeful Ishaan Gadekar to play a big role. Ishaan started off with a cracking sixer over long-on and a sweetly-struck four into the midwicket fence in the first over bowled by pacer Subodh Bhatti. The Goa Ranji Trophy batter looked set to helm the Geno challenge with another fierce shot to long-off boundary, but on the next delivery hit a lofted extra-cover drive down the throat of safe-pair of hands Deepraj off the bowling of left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar. Ishaan’s knock of 25 runs in 13 balls, comprised two boundaries and two sixers.
Sohraab Dhaliwal, who had scored a century in the semi-final, was also dismissed after scoring 11 runs when pacer Lakmesh Pawne got one through the Punjab-born batter’s defence and Geno’s challenge looked all but over. And when the other outstation recruit Mayank Rawat was out without scoring in the same over, the writing was on the wall for Geno.
Youngster Sanath Nevagi showed glimpses of his splendid shot-making potential during his knock of 25 runs; and so did Shivendera Bhujbal (21) and Yogesh Kauthankar (16) before Geno were all out for 128 runs in 19.1 overs. Lakmesh Pawne was the standout bowler for Salgaocar with four wickets to his name, giving away just 22 runs. Deepraj and Atharva picked up two wickets each.
Salgaocar captain Deepraj was named the player of the tournament and best batter; while Geno’s Aryan Mishra was awarded best bowler prize.
Grandson of Goa’s first chief minister, Late Dayanand Bandodkar, Sameer Kakodkar was the chief guest and gave away the prizes in the presence of Panjim Gymkhana secretary Rajesh Khaunte, treasurer Suresh Karapurkar and organising committee head Prashant Kakode.