Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Captain Tanaya Naik produced a magnificent unbeaten innings of 95 to lead Goa to a narrow six run victory over Chandigarh in the Women’s Under 23 Elite One Day Trophy match played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy Ground in Dehradun on Saturday. Goa posted 201 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs before restricting Chandigarh to 195 in 49.2 overs in a closely fought contest.
Goa began their innings on a steady note with Harshita Yadav contributing 35 runs while Urvashi Govekar added 13. However, regular wickets slowed the scoring and put the team under pressure during the middle overs.
At a crucial stage, captain Tanaya Naik anchored the innings with a calm yet attacking performance. She remained unbeaten on 95 from 118 deliveries, striking 12 boundaries and guiding her side to a competitive total. Nirmiti Khanvilkar stayed not out on 6 and supported the captain towards the end as Goa finished with 201 for 8. For Chandigarh, Pushpa Bishnoi was the most effective bowler, claiming three wickets.
Chasing a target of 202, Chandigarh suffered an early setback with Sarah, Palak Rana and Parushi Prabhakar dismissed cheaply. Despite the early losses, captain Aaradhana Bisht and Yashika revived the innings with an important 87 run partnership for the fifth wicket. Bisht scored 47 while Yashika added 42 to keep their team in contention.
Later, contributions from Hitanshi with 32 runs, Mannu with 27 and Aahan Vaid with 18 kept the chase alive, but the Goa bowlers maintained pressure in the final stages.
Metali Gawandar delivered a key bowling performance for Goa, taking three wickets for 37 runs in her 10 overs. She received good support from Harshita Yadav, Vidika, Pooja Kalel and Nirmiti Khanvilkar, who picked up one wicket each.
Chandigarh were eventually bowled out for 195 in 49.2 overs, giving Goa a hard fought six run win and their first victory in the tournament after two earlier defeats.
