Trailblazers beat Supernovas by 16 runs to win Women's T20 Challenge title
In a match where spinners called the shots, captain Smriti Mandhana’s knock became the difference between the two teams as Trailblazers toppled Supernovas by 16 runs to lift their maiden Women’s T20 Challenge trophy in Sharjah on Monday.
Chasing 119, Supernovas’ batters were choked for runs, and beneath the pressure to keep carefully the scoreboard ticking, they lost wickets.
Propelled by the big occasion with the trophy in sight, Mandhana (68 off 49 balls) led from leading as she helped the Trailblazers setup a stage from where they could post a challenging target for the Supernovas. But her good work was devoted shade by perky left-arm spinner Radha Yadav who claimed a five-wicket haul to help Harmanpreet Kaur’s outfit restrict Trailblazers to 118/8.
The runs dry out and wickets fell in clumps after Mandhana perished in the 15th over, courtesy of flawless glovework by Taniya Bhatia who dislodged the stumps just in the nick of time to make sure spinner Shashikala Siriwardene had her first scalp.
Radha wreaked havoc in the 18th and the 20th over when she dismissed Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Sophie Ecclestone, Harleen Deol, and Jhulan Goswami, leaking only 16 runs in 3.5 overs.
Earlier, designed to bat first, the run barrage started in the next over bowled by off-spinner Anuja Patil. The left-hand bat Mandhana first went down the wicket, then swiveled it towards the backward square to score consecutive boundaries before loosening herself for a hoik over long-off that went for a six. Exactly like her demeanor, Mandhana’s batting oozes elegance and her knock in the ultimate was another testament of her superior skill as a batswoman.
The captain’s opening partner Deandra Dottin (20 off 32 balls), who usually loves to play the aggressor, looked restricted and didn't find the flair. But, holding one end up, she ensured no wickets fell till the 12th over. Dottin’s resistance ended after she attempted to slog sweep leg-spinner Poonam Yada and holed out at the mid-on giving a simple catch to Radha.
Brief Scores: Trailblazers 118/8 in 20 overs (S Mandhana 68, D Dottin 20; R Yadhav 5-16) defeatedSupernovas 102/7 in 20 overs (H Kaur 30; S Khatun 3-18, D Sharma 2-9) by 16 runs.
