Shikha show highlights Goa win, Baroda notch up third victory

captain scores unbeaten 92 to guide hosts to eight-wicket win against bengal

BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO | JANUARY 17, 2018, 07:39 PM IST
Shikha show highlights Goa win, Baroda notch up third victory


PANAJI  

Goa and Baroda registered eight-wicket wins in their Round IV engagements in the Senior Women’s Elite T20 (Group A) against Bengal and UP respectively at the GCA Academy ground, Porvorim on Tuesday.  

Goa kept their chances bright to advance to the Super Elite stage in the T20 tournament with a captain’s knock of an unbeaten 92 by Shikha Pandey. Meanwhile, in the other match, Baroda registered their third successive win with yet another team effort.   

In the first match of the day, Goa Women were made to work hard to get the better of their formidable Bengal rivals. Put in to bat, Bengal posted a competitive 123/4 riding on their professional, Deepti Sharma’s third successive 40 plus score in the tournament.

In reply, Goa Women toyed with a third opening combination in as many matches with captain Shikha Pandey joining Sanjula Naik at the top. Yet again, the home side suffered an early setback with a struggling Sanjula playing a false shot to dejectedly walk back with just 2 to her name and Goa crawling to 8/1 in 3.4 overs. 

But it was to be the script set to be written for the captain who took the onus on herself to open the innings this match and with a point to prove. Perhaps the decision was prompted with Goa losing tamely to Baroda on Monday to a similar target (127) and the openers making it difficult for the batters to come. India all-rounder, Shikha Pandey took her form with the leather to the willow in the game. She was in imperious form from the outset finding the gaps to crack intricate boundaries and smack maximums with disdain. 

A reverse swept six highlighted the kind of form she spelled to the opposition as her innings progressed. Along the chase, she raised an important 59-run second-wicket stand with senior pro, Sunanda Yetrekar. Her partner contributed 12 runs in the partnership underlining that it was a Shikha show. With Yetrekar out, an undeterred Pandey continued to hog strike and thump the meaty blows to gradually make the equation breathable for Goa. Nikita Malik, joining her captain at two-down, played the ideal foil scoring an unbeaten 14 (12b, 1x4) to see her side over the line with three balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. Shikha carried her bat through with a masterly unconquered 92 coming from 76 deliveries with 11 well-timed boundaries and two majestic maximums.   

In the Bengal attack, sans India pacer Jhulan Goswami, which was entirely spin-oriented, captain and all-rounder Tanusree Sarkar was the lone bowler to impress with 1/17 in four overs.   

In the afternoon match, Baroda Women cantered to an eight-wicket win over UP Women. UP electing to bat first on winning the toss posted a dismal 70/9 in 20 overs. Apart from opener Shobha Devi 31 (35b, 5x4), none of the other batswomen could measure up to the level losing their wickets at regular intervals. No other batswoman managed to reach double digits in the innings.   

In the Baroda attack, offie Shalini Sharma stood out with 3/10 while slow-left arm bowler Radha P Yadav with 2/5 also did a commendable job.   

Chasing 75 for a win, Baroda were in cruise mode all along. While opener, Binaisha Surti struck a delightful 28 (37b, 3x4), one-down bat and wicketkeeper, Yastika Bhatia finished off the match in grandeur with a six. The target was attained at the loss of two wickets after 15 overs.

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