Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa women cricket team produced a spirited all round performance to record a memorable 16 run victory over Saurashtra in the Senior Women One Day Trophy Elite match on Tuesday. Batting first after winning the toss at the Taurian World School Ground in Ranchi, Goa posted an impressive total of 272 for eight in 50 overs and later restricted their opponents to 256 for six. The win helped Goa move to fourth place in Group C with eight points.
Goa began positively with openers Purvaja Verlekar and Harshita Yadav putting together a steady partnership. Purvaja played confidently for 51 runs while Harshita contributed 34 to give the innings early momentum. Tejaswini Duragad added another useful 34 as Goa crossed the 100 run mark in a strong position. The team then suffered a sudden collapse, losing several wickets in quick succession and slipping from 122 for one to 147 for six.
At this difficult stage, Poorva Bhaidkar and Shreya Parab rebuilt the innings with maturity and determination. Poorva struck an excellent 72 from 73 balls with seven boundaries, while Shreya supported her with 42 from 45 deliveries. Their partnership revived the innings and pushed Goa towards a competitive score. Presha Naik provided late acceleration with an unbeaten 18 to ensure the total went beyond 250.
Saurashtra began the chase aggressively as openers Umeshvari Jethva and Riddhi Ruparel added 96 runs for the first wicket. Ruparel top scored with 82 and kept her side in control for long periods. The breakthrough came when Presha Naik dismissed Jethva for 47, after which the Goa bowlers tightened their grip. Harshita Yadav and Poorva Bhaidkar picked up two wickets each and maintained pressure with accurate spells.
Despite a late fightback from Ayushi and Modhwadia, who added quick runs towards the end, Goa held their nerve in the final overs. The fielding unit supported the bowlers well and prevented Saurashtra from reaching the target. The victory highlighted Goa’s fighting spirit and ability to recover from difficult situations, giving the team valuable confidence for the remaining matches of the tournament.
