TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: PWD defeated Water Resources Dept (WRD) by 21 runs in the civil services cricket at SAG ground, Chicalim.
Electing to bat first, surprisingly, on a pitch not conducive to stroke making, due to the overnight moisture, PWD openers couldn’t get going and could muster only 24 in the first six overs of powerplay. However, openers Umesh Naik 39 (44) and Samir Chodankar 42 (38) put on 85 in 13 overs before Vaikunth Parsekar put on the brakes on the PWD scoring with his leg breaks, dismissing not only the openers but also getting rid of the dangerous Shailesh Naik on a golden duck. With the match on an even keel, PWD reading 105/4 in 15 overs, WRD lost the plot in the last five overs with the PWD dashing all-rounder Mayur Naik hitting a quickfire 31 (15) with two sixes helping PWD reach 171/9 in 20 overs. Vaikunth Parsekar was the pick of the WRD bowlers picking 3-26 while Sandesh Tari scalped 2-24.
Psychologically down, having conceded 66 runs to PWD in the last five overs, WRD found themselves in deep trouble losing four wickets for 36 runs in six overs of powerplay, with Mayur Naik (2-20) and Someshwar Adpaikar (2-12) making life miserable for the WRD batsmen. Though skipper Uday Amonkar 32 (25) fought a lonely battle, the rest of the WRD batting couldn’t resist the temptation to go for big hits and folded up making 150/8 in 20 overs, thanks only to some lusty hitting in the end by Nitesh Naik 24 (24) and Santosh Kholkar 16 no (7). Anil Mashelkar picked 3-37 for PWD.
Mayur Naik was named man-of-the-match.
