The MCC Tigers clinched a narrow two-wicket victory against MCC Dragons with just two balls to spare in the 10th season of the Members Cricket League (MCL), organized by the Margao Cricket Club, on Sunday morning.
After winning the toss, the Tigers elected to bowl, and their bowlers delivered a disciplined performance. Nikit Dalal and Somay Naik claimed two wickets each, dismantling the Dragons’ top order. Bakshi fell for a duck, while Kapil Angle managed only 2 runs. However, a valiant 40-run knock from Om Fadte, coupled with captain Vaibhav Naik’s 36 runs, helped the Dragons post a fighting total of 124/9 in 18 overs. Ankush Patil chipped in with 10 runs, while Tigers’ Siddharth Ghanker and Vinod Solanki picked up one wicket each.
Chasing 125, MCC Tigers started strong, with Nikit Dalal scoring a crucial 35 runs. Amit Kakode and captain Vedant Naik contributed 11 runs each. A late flurry of runs by Rajaram Kundiker (24 off 21 balls) and Sahish Mahambrey (17 off 7 balls, including 2 sixes and a four) ensured the Tigers crossed the finish line at 125/8 in 17.4 overs. For the Dragons, Sudesh Rane and Om Fadte took two wickets apiece, while Ankush Patil picked up one. Nikit Dalal was declared Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
In the afternoon session, MCC Stallions emerged victorious in a nail-biting Super Over against MCC Legends, marking one of the most dramatic matches of the MCL season.
Batting first, MCC Legends posted 114 runs, with Vishwesh Kamat (12 off 11 balls) and Mahendra Pai (19 off 15 balls) laying the foundation. Captain Amod Borkar added 16 runs, while middle-order contributions from Gopal Gawas (14 off 15 balls) and Brijesh Prabhu (16 off 12 balls) pushed the total past 110.
In response, MCC Stallions had a shaky start, losing opener Viraj Tar for just 2 runs. Chaitanya Kamat (18 off 24 balls) and Gautam Verlekar (21 off 16 balls) steadied the innings, but the Legends fought back with disciplined bowling. Raunak’s vital 30-run knock off 28 balls helped the Stallions tie the match at 114/7 in 18 overs, leading to a Super Over.