Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Goa secured an impressive 18 run victory over Himachal Pradesh in the U 19 Women’s Inter State T20 Tournament for the Siechem Trophy at the SLIMS Ground in Puducherry on Friday.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Goa scored 130 for four in 20 overs. Athashree Shivarkar led the innings with a superb unbeaten 66 off 53 balls, hitting eight fours and a six. Nikhila Naik and Rakshanda Kalangutkar opened the innings, with Naik scoring 2 and Kalangutkar adding 9 before their dismissals.
Usma Khan contributed a valuable 24, while Muskan Sab added 5. Pooja Kalel remained unbeaten on 10 alongside Shivarkar as Goa finished with a competitive total of 130. Extras contributed 14 runs to the Goa total.
Himachal Pradesh began their chase but found it difficult to score freely against Goa’s bowling attack. They were eventually bowled out for 112 in 18.5 overs.
Archana Thakur top scored for Himachal Pradesh with 21, while Yukti Kumari made 17. Himani Sharma and Paavani Singh contributed 15 runs each, with Saainaa Chauhan adding 12. Anahita Singh scored 4, while Dhanya Sharma made 7. Mannat Kaur, Swara and Riya Sharma contributed a run each, with Swastika Kanwar scoring 2. Himachal Pradesh also received 16 runs through extras.
Pooja Kalel was the standout bowler for Goa, claiming five wickets for just 15 runs in 3.5 overs. Nikhila Naik also played a crucial role with the ball, taking three wickets for only 8 runs in her three overs.
Prachi Nikam picked up one wicket for 22 runs, while Vidhi Bhandare claimed one for 18. Their combined bowling effort ensured Himachal Pradesh could not build the partnerships needed to chase down the target.
Goa’s victory was built on contributions across both departments, with Shivarkar anchoring the batting innings, Kalel leading the bowling attack and Naik making a valuable impact with both bat and ball.
