Staff Reporter
Taleigao
Goa College of Engineering (GCE), Farmagudi, and Goa Medical College (GMC) secured hard-fought victories in the Goa University Inter-Collegiate Cricket Championship at Taleigao on Thursday.
In the first match, GCE edged past St Xavier’s College, Mapusa, by 8 runs in a low-scoring thriller. Batting first after losing the toss, GCE posted 120/7 in their 20 overs, anchored by an unbeaten 40 from Atchut Dalal and a steady 24 from Narayan Sawant. Vedant Chandekar was the pick of the St Xavier’s bowlers, returning figures of 2/11.
Chasing 121, St Xavier’s fell short, getting bowled out for 112 in 18 overs. Harsh Bhagat’s 29 was the lone notable effort with the bat, but the GCE bowling duo of Narayan Sawant (4/20) and Prabhakar Shetye (3/11) ran through the opposition. Sawant’s all-round show earned him the Player of the Match award.
In the second game of the day, GMC held their nerve to clinch a 3-wicket win over PES College, Farmagudi. Opting to bat first, PES College posted 108/6 in 18 overs, with Sagar Gaude (26) and Siddharth Shirodkar (21) leading the charge. GMC’s Arsh Sardesai was the standout bowler, claiming 3/22.
GMC’s chase saw a few nervy moments, but Arsh Sardesai (32) and Jarvis Faleiro (26) ensured they crossed the line in 15.1 overs, finishing at 109/7. Sagar Gaude chipped in with 2/18 for PES, but it wasn’t enough to deny GMC the win. Sardesai’s all-round performance saw him bag the Player of the Match honours.
