Velocity launch opening salvo
Sushma Verma and Sune Luus played knocks of 34 and 37 respectively as Velocity defeated Supernovas by five wickets in the Women’s T20 Challenge here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing 127, Velocity got off to the worst start possible as Danielle Wyatt was sent back to the pavilion by Ayabonga Khaka in the very first over. Velocity was given yet another blow in the third over as Shafali Verma (17) was dismissed by Khaka, reducing Velocity to 17/2.
Mithali Raj and Veda Krishnamurthy stitched together a brief partnership of 21 runs, but the stand came to an end in the ninth over as Shashikala Siriwardene sent Mithali (7) back to the pavilion, reducing Velocity to 38/3. Veda Krishnamurthy and Sushma Verma kept on moving the scoreboard, but as soon as Velocity started gaining an upper hand, Veda (29) was sent back to the pavilion by Radha Yadav, reducing the side to 65/4 in the 13th over.
Sushma Verma and Sune Luus then gave Velocity’s innings the much-needed momentum by stitching a partnership of 51 runs. But with 11 runs away from the target, Verma (34) lost her wicket in the penultimate over.
In the end, Luus took Velocity over the line by five wickets with one ball to spare. Earlier, Ekta Bisht’s three-wicket haul helped Velocity to restrict Supernovas to 126/8.
Brief scores: Supernovas 126/8 in 20 overs (C Atapattu 44; E Bisht 3/22) lost to Velocity 129/5 in 19.5 overs (S Luus 37 not out; A Khaka 2/27) by five wickets.