Women’s T20 Challenge: Trailblazers spinners choke Supernovas to help claim maiden title by 16 runs

New Delhi: Salma Khatun picked three while Deepti Sharma took two wickets as Trailblazers clinched their first Women’s T20 Challenge title after defeating Supernovas by 16 runs here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Supernovas needed 28 runs in the last two overs and Salma wreaked havoc dismissing skipper Harmanpreet and Anuja Patil. In the end, the Supernovas fell 17 runs short of the target in the final.
Chasing 119 runs, Supernovas got off to a bad start as they lost star batter Chamari Athapaththu in the very second over.

Taniya Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues stitched a 20-run stand before Deepti Sharma dismissed the former in the seventh over.

Fun unlimited with the #Trailblazers @imharleenDeol interviews the squad post their epic win in the Final of #JioWomensT20Challenge. Pure fun and emotions on display over the microphone from the Champions – by @Moulinparikh

WATCH ??https://t.co/OlQxpb6I7s pic.twitter.com/UsFK0Bjyh8

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 10, 2020

Deepti in her next over dismissed Jemimah as Supernovas got reduced to 37/3 with an asking rate at above seven. Shashikala Siriwardene then joined skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the middle as Supernovas scored 48 runs at the halfway mark.

The duo rebuilt the Supernovas’ innings and stitched a 37-run stand before Salma Khatun dismissed her in the 15th over with 45 runs more required off 32 balls.

In the end, Supernovas required 28 from the last two overs but wickets kept falling at regular intervals, and the side fell 17 runs short of the target.

One for the shutterbugs ??#JioWomensT20Challenge | #Trailblazers | @mandhana_smriti pic.twitter.com/yTDK8rkwGT

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 9, 2020

Earlier after put in to bat, Trailblazers got off to a flying start with opening batter Deandra Dottin and Smriti Mandhana stitching a 71-run stand for the first wicket.

Poonam Yadav ended Dottin’s stint at the crease in the 12th over. Meanwhile, Mandhana completed her half-century as Trailblazers looked for a mammoth total in the final.

Mandhana bludgeoned the Supernovas’ bowling attack as she whacked five fours and three glorious sixes before Shashikala Siriwardene dismissed Trailblazers’ skipper in the 15th over.

A night to savour for the #Trailblazers

CHAMPIONS of #JioWomensT20Challenge 2020 pic.twitter.com/Vo8nmpPMJw

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 9, 2020

Mandhana’s wicket triggered a middle-order collapse as the Trailblazers lost six wickets in the last five overs. Mandhana fought a lone battle as the Trailblazers were only able to make 118 runs after Radha Yadav wreaked havoc clinching five wickets in the final.

Radha’s five-wicket haul came as a sigh of relief as Supernovas were able to pull Trailblazers back after Mandhana had bludgeoned the bowling attack.

Brief score: Trailblazers 118/8 [Smriti Mandhana 68(49), Deandra Dottin 20(32), Radha Yadav 5-16, S Siriwardene 1-22] beat Supernovas 102/7 [Harmanpreet Kaur 30(36), Shashikala Siriwardene 19(18), Deepti Sharma 2-9, Salma Khatun 3-18]