Women’s T20 Challenge Finals: Trailblazers become new champions, defeats Supernovas by 16 runs

Women’s T20 Challenge Finals: Trailblazers become new champions, defeats Supernovas by 16 runs

Smriti Mandhana during the Women's T20 Challenge

Trailblazers during the Women’s T20 Challenge finals

The final of the third edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge was won by 16 runs at the Sharjah International Stadium. Trailblazers and Supernovas played a repeat of the last round-robin game in the tournament. Supernovas being the defending champions were eyeing their third WT20 challenge in a row with Harmanpreet Kaur leading the side.

Supernovas were chasing the 119 runs target set by Trailblazers in the first innings. The start wasn’t good as Chamari Athapaththu got out in the second over itself. Jemimah Rodrigues opened along with the Sri Lankan teammate but she also got out cheaply for 13 runs in 18 balls.

Harmanpreet Kaur led the run-chase from the front as she was the top-scorer for the Supernovas. She made a partnership with Shashikala Siriwardene who made 19 runs. Kaur even got injured in the ending as she struggled to run in between the wickets. Her innings came to end in the 19th over of Salma Khatun. No other player could help the supernovas as Trailblazers tightened their grip in the match.

Khatum picked 3 wickets for 18 runs while Deepti Sharma took 2. World No. 1 T20 bowler Sophie Ecclestone picked one wicket for 26 runs. Supernovas could only make 102 runs and lost the game by 16 runs margin.

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Smriti Mandhana made the vital fifty runs for the Trailblazers versus Supernovas

Smriti Mandhana registered her first fifty of the Women’s T20 Challenge at the time when it mattered the most. Leading from the front for Trailblazers in the finals of the tournament Mandhana made 68 runs in 49 deliveries. She along with Deandra Dottin added 71 runs in the first 11 overs for the Trailblazers.

The supernovas got their first breakthrough when Pooja Yadav dismissed Dottin in the 12 over. She scored 20 runs in 32 balls. Smriti also lost her wicket to Siriwardene soon after as the bright start for Trailblazers started to fade. She made 68 runs and smashed 5 fours and 3 sixes.

Radha Yadav halts Trailblazers with a historic fifer

Radha Yadav celebrates after taking a wicket against the Trailblazers

After the fall of the opening pair, Trailblazers couldn’t find any rhythm and lost wickets cheaply. Radha Yadav was at her best as her spin bowling marked a historic achievement in the T20 Challenge. Yadav took the first five-wicket haul in the history of the Women’s T20 Challenge as the Trailblazers were reduced to 118/8.

Radha Yadav first removed Deepti Sharma for 9 runs and later Richa Ghosh for 10 runs. She took three wickets in the final over and forced a run-out. Only conceded 1 run in the 20th over as Trailblazers set a target of 119 runs in the finals. Yadav ended with her best bowling figures if 4-0-16-5. Radha Yadav also won the player of the tournament for her 8 wickets in the three games of the tournament.

The third edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge found a new champion in Trailblazers who lifted the trophy for the first time.

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