Team Herald
PORVORIM: Rohan Bogati and Vikas Singh produced an excellent exhibition of spin bowling as Dempo Cricket Club pulled off a sensational 73-run victory over Alcon MCC to win Goa Cricket Association’s Goa Premier League 2022-23 title at GCA academy ground here on Monday.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Off-spinner Bogati (4/35) and left-arm spinner Singh (4/51) kept pegging back Alcon MCC with regular breakthroughs for Dempo CC, who were the runners-up last season.
Alcon MCC started the third and final day on their overnight score of 4/0 and needed 183 runs to win. A draw could have also been enough for them to lift the trophy as Alcon MCC had earned a crucial first-innings lead. However, Dempo spinners choked their rivals and shot them out for 113 runs in the extended morning session itself.
Opening batter Sumiran Amonkar (18) was the first to depart with the team total being 25. The next four top-order batters failed to even get into double digits and Alcon MCC were quickly reduced to 45/5. The other opener Prathamesh Gawas, who also scored 18, was the sixth wicket to go down and it was clear that Alcon MCC were going to struggle to save the day precariously placed at 65/6 despite captain Darshan Misal still being at the crease.
Misal, who had been in great form with bat and ball this season, saw his team slide further on to the brink when Digesh Raikar and Heramb Parab were sent back to the pavilion in quick succession.
Darshan could hardly take risks for big shots as Dempo spinners were at the top of their game. He, however, struck two boundaries when the deliveries were there to put away. No other batter showed an ability to apply themselves and play to the merit of the ball.
Darshan, who scored 21 off 69 balls, and Keith Pinto (15 not out off 41 balls) looked like settling down and seeing the morning session off when at the stroke of lunch, the Alcon MCC skipper was caught superbly with a diving effort by Karan Vasshodia at short leg off the bowling of left-arm spinner Vikas Singh. With nine wickets gone, the first session was extended in view of the impending result. Last-man Samarth Rane (5) played and missed but managed to last 22 deliveries on the pitch before being bamboozled by Vikas Singh, who got one to beat the bat and knock the off-stump back.
Brief scores: Dempo CC 1st innings 157 in 53.5 overs (Deep Kasvankar 50, Lakshay Garg 23; Darshan Misal 7/46) & 2nd innings 205 in 69.3 overs (Manthan Khutkar 108 not out, Deep Kasvankar 59; Darshan Misal 8/78), Alcon MCC 1st innings 176 in 54 overs (Piyush Yadav 44, Shourya Jaglan 37; Rohan Bogati 5/67) & 2nd innings 113 in 48.1 overs (Darshan Misal 21, Prathamesh Gawas 18; Rohan Bogati 4/35, Vikas Singh 4/51).
Man-of-the Tournament: Vikas Singh (Dempo CC).
