Women’s T20 Challenge: Radha's five-for restricts Trailblazers to 118

Sharjah - Trailblazers should have ended strongly but Radha Yadav took five wickets in the death overs

Skipper Smriti Mandhana scored an excellent half-century (49-ball 68) to take Trailblazers to 118 runs against Supernovas in the final of the Women’s T20 Challenge 2020 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.

After a 71-run opening stand in 11 overs, Trailblazers should have ended strongly but an excellent Radha Yadav snared five wickets in the death overs to restrict a late flourish.

Asked to bat, Trailblazers’ openers started strongly by smashing 45 runs in the power play overs. Even as Deandra Dottin struggled, skipper Mandhana knocked timely boundaries and rotated the strike.

But Supernovas pulled things back through Anuja Patil, Poonam Yadav and Shashikala Siriwardene. The spin trio gave just 15 runs in four overs.

At the half-way stage, Trailblazers reached 66 runs. Relentless pressure from Supernovas’ spinners resulted in a breakthrough. Dottin, looking to push the accelerator, perished in the deep off Poonam.

Dottin made just 20 from 32 balls but shared a solid 71-run opening stand. Mandhana carried on and smoked Poonam for a four and a six to reach her 50 from 40 balls.

In a see-saw battle, Patil and Siriwardene, with two tight overs, wrested the momentum. And again, they were rewarded with a wicket as Mandhana was stumped after missing a turning delivery from Siriwardene.

Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh got together with Trailblazers at 101/2 after 15 overs. They could score only two runs off Poonam.

Radha, returning for her second spell, removed Sharma (10-ball 9) and Ghosh (16-ball 10) in the space of three balls.

Radha, in the final over of the match, bagged the wickets of Sophie Ecclestone (1), Harleen Deol (4) and Jhulan Goswami, and there was a run out of Natakkan Chantam (0) as Trailblazers ended at 118/8.

Trailblazers managed just 17 runs in the final five overs as Radha wreaked havoc.

• IPL 2024