Oxford clinch Under-17 leather ball cricket tournament title
Panaji: Oxford team emerged champions of the All-Goa Under-17 Leather Ball Cricket Tournament, organized by Visual Link Cricketers in association with the Goa Cricket Association at the NAPEX ground in Sankhali, defeating Banjara Cricket Club by 11 runs in the final. In a thrilling contest, Oxford delivered a superior all-round performance with both bat and ball to seal the victory.
Batting first, Oxford posted 157/5 in the allotted 20 overs. Captain Afrid played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 85 runs, giving the innings a solid foundation. He was well supported by Priyanshu Verma, who contributed 38 runs. For Banjara, Chetan Lamani, Ansh Harmalkar, and Parth Sankpal picked up one wicket each.
Chasing a target of 158, Banjara Cricket Club put up a spirited fight. Captain Sai Naik scored a fighting 72 runs to keep the contest alive, while Parth Sankpal added 26. At one stage, Banjara were cruising at 130/2, but disciplined bowling by Oxford restricted them to 146/6 in 20 overs. Usman Ghani’s pressure bowling in the crucial phase proved particularly commendable.
For Oxford, Usman Ghani claimed two wickets and played a key role, while Shivam Singh, Afrid, and Rumaan Mulam took one wicket each. With an outstanding all-round performance, Afrid was the architect of Oxford’s victory.
Next Gen Cricket Academy’s head coach Keenan Vaz and assistant coach Tausif Mulla played a significant role in both teams’ journey to the final, as more than 20 players in the final were part of the academy.
At the prize distribution ceremony, Chairman of Shree Mallikarjun and Chetan Manju Desai College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Canacona, Mr. Chetan Desai, was the chief guest. Other dignitaries present included Siddesh Salunke, Paresh Phadte, Pandhari Gauns, and Vijay Kudtarkar
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