Women's T20 Challenge: Velocity beat Trailblazers by 3 wickets

Mithali Raj-led Velocity defeated Smriti Mandhana's Trailblazers by three wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday. Velocity faced a minor hiccup in the starting and a flurry of wickets towards the end in their 113 run-chase. Deepti Sharma bowled Hayley Matthews cheaply for five. The 15-year-old Shefali Verma and Danielle Wyatt combined 38 runs for the second wicket to well place their team. The young Indian, who was dropped by Sophie Ecclestone on return catch on zero, smashed five boundaries and one six before Harleen Deol ended the promising knock for 34.

Wyatt and captain Raj added 48 for the third wicket to almost take Velocity home. With five required from 24 balls, Rajeshwari Gayakwad dismissed Wyatt (46), who gave a simple catch to Deepti at mid-off. On the next ball, Ecclestone and wicket-keeper run out Veda Krishnamurthy for a nought off Gayakwad. Deepti returned when Velocity needed just two from 18 balls and bowled Mithali (17), and Shikha Pandey and Amelia Kerr for a golden duck each, spoiling the sweetness of victory for Velocity. However, on the last ball of the 18th over, Sushree Dibyadarshini finally got her team over the line.

Earlier, a well-compiled 43 by Deol helped Trailblazers post 112/6 after put in to bat. Mandhana, who wanted to bat anyway, was trapped by her India teammate Shikha early in the Powerplay. The Southpaw (10) edged and was taken by diving to her left wicket-keeper Sushma Verma, leaving Trailblazers at 15/1. Suzie Bates and Deol combined 35 for the second wicket before Bates (26) gave a simple catch to Krishnamurthy at long-on off Ekta Bisht. Velocity could have sent Stafanie Taylor back soon had Dibyadarshini not messed up and missed a big run-out. Deol played the ball off Shikha to mid-wicket and refused for single but Taylor ran long way down the pitch. Dibyadarshini ran towards the non-striker's end for a few yards but then missed the throw.

Dibyadarshini made up for her mistake and delivered a wicket-maiden over, removing Taylor (5) on a return catch. Deol found support in Deepti and the duo took Trailblazers to 100-run mark on the first ball of 18th over. Captain Raj had a word with Kerr about the field and she dismissed both Deepti (16) and Deol (43) on the third and fourth ball, putting Trailblazers under pressure at 100/5. In the next over, Bisht returned and bowled Bharti Fulmali cheaply for two. Dayalan Hemalatha and Shakera Selman finished one and eight unbeaten respectively. Velocity will next meet Harmanpreet Kaur-led Supernovas on May 9 at the same venue.

Brief scores: Velocity 113/7 (D Wyatt 46, S Verma 34, D Sharma 4-14) beat Trailblazers 112/6 (H Deol 43, E Bisht 2-13, A Kerr 2-21) by three wickets. (ANI)

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