Team Herald
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
MARGAO: In a decisive ‘Qualifier 2’ match of the Members Cricket League T20 tournament, MCC Masters triumphed over MCC Warriors by 8 wickets, securing their place in the championship final at the MCC ground, here, on Saturday.
With this defeat, MCC Warriors have been eliminated from the tournament. The final is scheduled for Sunday, December 22, under floodlights, where MCC Masters will face MCC Dragons for the title.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, MCC Masters showcased a dominant bowling performance, restricting MCC Warriors to a modest total of 90 runs in 18.2 overs. The Warriors faced early setbacks, finding themselves at 35 for 7. A resilient 33-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Abhishek Goyal (25) and Sudip Faldesai (19) provided some recovery. However, MCC Masters’ bowlers maintained pressure, with Amlon D’Souza leading the attack by claiming 3 wickets for 12 runs. Paul Fernandes and Vikrant Prabhu supported effectively, taking 2 wickets each for 12 and 16 runs, respectively, while Balakrishna Hodarkar contributed with 1 wicket for 12 runs.
Chasing 91 for victory, MCC Masters achieved the target comfortably in 13.5 overs. Opener Apoorva Bhembre spearheaded the innings with a solid 35 runs off 35 balls, including 1 four and 3 sixes. Fellow opener Anup Kudchadkar added 17 runs, setting a strong foundation.
Balakrishna Hodarkar remained unbeaten on 14, while Paul Fernandes contributed 8 runs, steering the team to a convincing win. Raghuvir Kuncolienkar was the sole wicket-taker for MCC Warriors. For his outstanding performance, Apoorva Bhembre was named the man-of-the-match.
MCC Dragons secured their place in the final with a 3-wicket victory over MCC Masters in the Qualifier 1 match. Chasing a modest target of 86, the Dragons reached 86/7 in 16.1 overs after restricting the Masters to 85/9 in their 20 overs.
MCC Masters struggled to build momentum. Captain Prasad Ghode (22) and Satyesh Kamat (17 not out) were the only notable contributors as the team managed just 85 runs. MCC Dragons’ Om Phadte (2/4) and Kapil Angle (2/13) were instrumental in dismantling the Masters’ batting lineup, with Sudhir Shet, Rajesh Chowgule, Mrunmay Das and Aditya Prabhugaonkar chipping in with a wicket each.
In response, MCC Dragons faced some early setbacks and were reduced to 30/3 by the 7th over. However, a crucial 40-run partnership between Kapil Angle (27) and Vaibhav Naik (18) steadied the innings. Despite a late wobble at 82/7, the Dragons chased down the target comfortably.
MCC Masters’ Amlon D’Souza and Balkrishna Hodarkar took two wickets each, while Siddhesh Prabhu Alvencar and Prasad Ghode claimed one each. Kapil Angle was named the player-of-the-match.
In the Eliminator match, MCC Warriors knocked out MCC Tigers by chasing down their total of 122/9 in 20 overs with 126/6 in 17.5 overs. Batting first, Tigers’ openers Niket Naik Dalal (22), Smit Dalvi (25), and Vedant Naik (28) contributed well, but the middle order failed to capitalize. Warriors’ bowlers Vrushab Kuncolienkar (3/15) and Ketan Kunde (3/15) restricted the Tigers to a modest total.
The Warriors’ chase was precarious at 44/4, but a 40-run partnership between Vrushab Kuncolienkar (25) and Ketan Kunde (30) revived their innings. Abhishek Goyal (8 not out) and Sudip Faldesai (10 not out) sealed the victory for the Warriors. Tigers’ Niket Naik Dalal claimed 3 wickets for 19 runs, while Vikram Gaitonde and Siddharth Ghanekar took a wicket each. Kunde was named the player-of-the-match.
