AGENCIES, NEW DELHI: A fine hand by Keenan Vaz gave Goa the all-important first-innings lead against Services, with the visiting side barely squeezing through at the Palam A ground, getting to 270 all out in reply to the 263 all out that Services had made.
At stumps, Services had progressed to 108 for 3 in their second innings, but barring a dramatic collapse and chase on the final day, Goa may have done enough to ensure three points.
Goa started the day on a precarious 150 for 6. Amogh Desai, who was on 37, progressed to his 12th first-class half-century, but was run out for 52, leaving Goa 171 for 7, and their hopes of a first-innings lead fading. But Vaz, the wicketkeeper, who had joined Desai in the middle at the start of the day, then took charge. He farmed the strike while batting alongside the tail and did the bulk of the scoring, taking Goa ahead inch by inch.
Sachidanand Pandey, who had taken three wickets on Friday, added two more for his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, but even his efforts couldn’t thwart Vaz and Goa. Pandey struck to end a ninth-wicket stand of 50 between Vaz and Felix Alemao, in which Alemao’s contribution was just 15. With Goa 243 for 9, it was anybody’s game for the first-innings lead, but Vaz ensured he took his side over the line before he was the last man to fall, the wicket fittingly going to Pandey.
Services faced a brief wobble in their second innings, losing both Navneet Singh and G Rahul Singh to go from 72 for 1 to 78 for 3, but Ravi Chauhan (41 not out) and Nakul Verma (22 not out) ensured no further alarms. At stumps, Services were leading by 101 runs.
Services 263 & 108 for 3 (Ravi Chauhan 41*, Nakul Verma 22*, Nitin Tanwar 43, Darshan Misal 2 for 26) lead Goa 270 (Sagun Kamat 50, Amogh Desai 52, Keenan 70; Sachidanand Pandey 5 for 61) by 101 runs.
