Batters fail as UP lose crucial game to Baroda
BARODA AFTER LOSING OPENER TARANNUM PATHAN IN THE VERY THIRD OVER WERE STRUGGLING AT 89/4 IN 16 OVERS, AND THEY NEEDED 32 RUNS IN 24 BALLS THEN, BUT BHATIA MADE IT EASY, HITTING 62BALL 72 WITH THE HELP OF SIX HITS TO THE FENCE
LUCKNOW: Finally, Uttar Pradesh paid the price of scoring low against mighty Baroda in their Elite Group D match of the Senior Women’s T20 League at Chandigarh on Thursday, losing their crucial game by six wickets.
Despite having a good start, Uttar Pradesh batters failed to carry on the momentum and could score 120/8 while batting first after winning the toss, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. In reply, Baroda romped home with two balls to spare at the loss of just four wickets.
Fresh from her success with willow at the recently concluded World Cup in New Zealand, where she made two half centuries, one each against Australia and Bangladesh, left-hand batter Yastika Bhatia single handedly fashioned Baroda’s win, hitting a breezy and unbeaten half-century.
Baroda after losing opener Tarannum Pathan in the very third over were struggling at 89/4 in 16 overs, and they needed 32 runs in 24 balls then, but Bhatia made it easy, hitting 62-ball 72 with the help of six hits to the fence.
While guiding the side reach home, Bhatia did three major partnerships. First she added 47-ball 50 for the second-wicket with opener P Patel (19, 30b, 2x4), then made 27 for the fourth-wicket with Hrutu Patel (11, 9n, 2x4) and an unbeaten 32 in 22 balls with Tanvir Shaikah (8) for the fith-wicket.
Undoubtedly, Bhatia was class apart as she didn’t allow all seven UP bowlers to dictate terms on her especially after being dropped twice, in the 13th and 16th overs, respectively. She started cautiously but soon changed her gears and hammered almost everyone for boundaries. Rashi Kanojiya remained the most successful bowler for UP, bagging 2/22, whereas Kshama Singh and Shilpi Yadav shared two wickets between them.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh started off well with openers Anita Lodhi and Shipra Giri stitching together 42 runs for the first wicket. Before being stumped by Bhatia off Tarannum Pathan, Lodhi made 31-ball 26, which contained three hits to the fence.
In-form Giri too scored runa-ball 36 with the help of four hits to the fence, and thereafter skipper Muskan Malik scored 27 in 28 ball with the help of two fours to take the score to 105 in 17 overs.
But thereafter, Uttar Pradesh lost five quick wickets with an addition of only 15 run on the next 18 balls. None among the five batters could touch the double figure mark. For Baroda, Radha Yadav remained the star performer, bagging 3/20, whereas N Patel and Tarannum Pathan bagged two wickets each.
Now, Uttar Pradesh stands at third position in the group with eight points in three matches. Baroda are the top also with eight points, whereas Goa are at the second spot also with eight points. Now, Uttar Pradesh met Goa in their penultimate league match on Friday before playing against Uttarakhand in their last league match on Sunday.