Reports

NEWS BYTES PORVORIM Goa Cricket Association (GCA) defeated Pondicherry Cricket Association (PCA) by nine runs in the BCCI organised Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 cricket tournament at the Bharat Ratna Atal B Vajpayee ground in Lucknow on Friday to register its first four points. Goa won the toss and opted to bat and all their five batsmen crossed the double digit mark to enable the team finish the 20 overs on 161 for the loss of three wickets. Pondicherry , needing 162 to win , managed to reach 152 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Aditya Kaushik set the foundation for Goa’s win remaining not out on 69 from 58 balls. Shubham Ranjane contributed 28 from 22 balls and bowler Lakshay Garg chipped in 28 from 19 balls. Ishaan Gadekar scored 15 from 14 balls and captain K D Eknath made 11 from 9 balls. P K Dogra was the highest scorer for Pondicherry with his 84 not out from 57 balls. Amit Yadav and Shrikant Wagh were the highest wicket takers for Goa with three wickets a piece while Lakshay Garg had his bowling arm in the seventh wicket. Amit Yadav finished his bowling figures with a reading of 3 wickets in four overs, giving away 16 runs. Ahrikant Wagh claimed his three wickets , also from four overs ,giving away 38 runs. Lakshay Garg claimed his only wicket from 3.3 overs giving away 13 runs. Goa plays Punjab in its next Elite Group A round on November 6, 2021 and is standing on the fourth slot of the table below Punjab who is on top and Tamil Nadu and Odisha who are second and third respectively.