PANJIM: Goa Cricket Association’s (GCA) Goa Premier League 2022-23 season witnessed two different types of three-day encounters. While Dempo Cricket Club recorded a one-sided victory over Chowgule SC, Panjim Gymkhana turned the tables on defending champions Geno SC to take the crucial first-innings lead and thus earn maximum points in the other match, which was drawn.
With this emphatic 167-run victory, Dempo earned six points to open their campaign in style. On the other hand, Panjim Gymkhana rose from a precarious position to take the first innings lead and thus gained 3 points over Geno SC, who got one point for the draw.
Starting the day on the overnight score of 204/7 at GCA Academy ground at Porvorim, Dempo lost their captain Lakshay Garg on 50 after an addition of 11 runs to his overnight score to off-spinner Mohit Redkar (6/105). Saiesh Kamat, who was unbeaten on 29 overnight, also brought up his 50 before losing his wicket. Coincidentally, Dempo were all out for the identical total of 239 in the second innings as well.
With the addition of the 51-run lead to the total, Chowgule faced a daunting task of chasing a total of 290 on the third and final day. Having lost both openers cheaply, a middle-order batting collapse saw Chowgule losing wickets in a heap after a 38-run third-wicket stand between Kashyap Bakhle (32) and Shivam Amonkar (15). From 50-2 they were reduced to 68/6. Krishna Thakur contributed 21 runs at the tailend to take the team past the hundred-mark and their innings folded up on 123 runs. Vikas Singh (5/58) and Rohan Bogati (3/14) were the main wicket-takers for Dempo CC.
In the other match at Sanguem ground, captain Snehal Kauthankar (118) and Shubham Desai (79) put on an invaluable sixth-wicket partnership of 165 runs that not just saved the match for Panijm Gymkhana but also took them past defending champions Geno SC’s total of 342, thus handing Panijm Gymkhana the first-innings lead of 37 runs as they were all-out for 379. Samit Aryan Mishra (4/101) and captain Amit Yadav (3/84) toiled for wickets as Gymkhana’s lower-order batters stuck to their task. When the third and final day ended, Geno were 60/1, and wondering how the match slipped from their grip.
