International Women’s T20 Three Team Challenge Final: at Maharashtra Stadium, Pune, India; 28 May 2022 (19h30 local time)
Sophie Ecclestone’s left-arm spin saw skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, ‘Supernovas’ secure their third title win against Deepti Sharma’s ‘Velocity.’ One England star played for each team: Sophie Ecclestone (Supernovas); Kate Cross (Velocity) and Sophia Dunkley (Trailblazers.) Commentators explained that with one win each, finalists qualified by their best net-run-rate. Before the match, Deepti Sharma said there were no changes to her team, whereas Harmanpreet Kaur had introduced bowlers Mansi Joshi and Rashi Kanojiya. The final went out live via cricket social media (for ESPN-cric-info: Raghav, Sudarshanan and Chandan.)
*Kate Cross opened the bowling with a ‘no ball’, thereafter conceding ‘ones’ and ’twos.’
*Early drama struck during velocity skipper Deepti Sharma’s second over when India’s Priya Punia (28 runs from 29 balls) survived a ‘leg before’ appeal; and West Indies superstar Deandre Dottin was dropped at mid-wicket by Sneh Rana.
*Bowling the sixth power play over, Sneh Rana was launched by Deandra Dottin – Dottin’s second ’six’ into the stands delaying play. After the power play Supernovas were 46/0. Living dangerously, Deandre Dottin survived three dropped catches. Priya Punia’s wicket was the first to fall, caught at ‘backward point’ by South African Laura Wolvaardt – who juggled the catch on the turn, with some sharp footwork. At mid-way, Supernovas were 78/1 (10 overs.)
*Returning to bowl the fifteenth over, Deepti Sharma skittled POTM Deandra Dottin’s stumps having missed a ‘reverse sweep,’ for 62 (from 44)
*At the 100 ball benchmark (16.4 overs) Supernovas were 144/3. *Commentator’s curse struck when Pooja Vastrakar (5) was clean bowled by South Africa’s Ayabonga Khaka.
*Thereafter England’s Kate Cross struck twice during the eighteenth over, causing a mini-collapse for single figures after big hitters were dismissed.
*Firstly, Supernovas’ skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (43 from 29) was easily caught at mid-off by India’s teenage star Shafali Verma.
*Secondly, Sophie Ecclestone (2) was caught behind, from Cross’s third ball. Velocity skipper Deepti Sharma’s (2/20) last ball dismissed South African skipper Sune Luus (3).
*Supernova’s final ball went vertically for a top-edged ‘skier,’ caught by Deepti Sharma.
*Supernovas closed on a defendable 165/7.
*Playing for Velocity, both India’s openers lasted just two overs. Firstly Shafali Verma (15 from 8) was caught behind from Deandre Dottin’s first over.
*Next over, Sophie Ecclestone took an easy return catch to dismiss Yastika Bhatia (13 from 9.) *Velocity suffered a second big blow when Kiran Prabhu Navgire (0) went for a duck, coming down the wicket to Sophie Ecclestone.
*Previously, uncapped Indian Navgire struck the fastest competition ‘fifty’ for Velocity in twenty-five balls.
*At the power play, Velocity were 38/3 (vs 46/0.)
*Making amends for commentator’s earlier disappointment, Pooja Vastrakar (1/32) made two dismissals: firstly trapping Thailand’s star batter Natthakan Chantham (6) ‘leg before.’
*Also in the field, catching Deepti Sharma (2) from Western Australia’s Alana King (3/32). By mid-way, Velocity were 61/4 (vs 78/1); and 117/7 (vs 144/3) with the run deficit rising by the 100 ball benchmark (16.4 overs.)
*At that point, Supernovas seemed assured of an easy win.
*Contrary to commentators expectations, South African Laura Wolvaardt (65* from 40) top-scored for Velocity, with three ‘sixes’ and five ‘fours’: making for an exciting finish, Before the match, Laura Wolvaardt told reporters (Indian Press) that she’d trained hard to improve her batting performance on the leg-side. She later told reporters that she’d been wary of playing Sophie Ecclestones’s ‘Yorkers,’ conceding that ‘she (Ecclestone) remains number one (bowler) in world.’
*Supernovas fought back when Alana King was on a ‘hat-trick,’ her second ball caught by Harmanpreet Kaur dismissing Radha Yadav for a golden duck.
*The match reached its climax when Wolvaardt slogged Sophie Ecclestone’s first ball over ‘mid-wicket’ into cow corner; but thereafter, failed to find any gaps between fielders during Ecclestone’s final five deliveries.
*In summary, top performances by all-rounder POTM & POTS Deandre Dottin (West Indies), Alana King (W. Australia) and closure from Sophie Ecclestone (England.)
*Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) and Simran Bahadur (India) fought back by hitting 44 runs in 18 balls for a close finish.
*Ultimately, Ecclestone’s superb bowling took the match down-to-the-wire for Supernovas their third title win, leaving Velocity four runs short.
*Commentators added that the sponsors want to expand future contests to six teams.
Final result: Supernovas 165/7 (20 overs) beat Velocity 161/8 (20 overs, target 166) by 4 runs
Supernovas 165/7 (20 overs, 8.25 runs-per-over) Deandra Dottin 62 runs from 44 balls, Harmanpreet Kaur 43(29), Priya Punia 28(29); Velocity bowling: Deepti Sharma 2/20, Kate Cross 2/29, Simran Bahadur 2/30, Ayabonga Khaka 1/27. Fow 1-71, 2-131, 3-144, 4-148, 5-149, 6-155, 7-165;
Velocity 161/8 (20 overs 8.05 runs-per-over) Laura Wolvaardt 65*(40), Simran Bahadur 20*(10), Shafali Verma 15(8), Sneh Rana 15(*15), Yastika Bhatia 13(9), Kate Cross 13(7); Supernovas bowling: Alana King 3/32, Sophie Ecclestones 2/28, Deandra Dottin 2/28, Pooja Vastrakar 1/32; Fow 1-29, 2-36, 3-38, 4-58, 5-64, 6-104, 7-114, 8-117.
Scorecard and statistics at URL: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/women-s-t20-challenge-2022-1314902/supernovas-vs-velocity-final-1314906/live-cricket-score
