Smriti Mandhana’s Trailblazers posted 190 runs in the first innings of their Women’s T20 Challenge 2022 match against Velocity at the MCA Stadium, Pune on Thursday. 

Debutant opener Sabbhineni Meghana top-scored for the pink team with 73 off 47 balls, while Jemimah Rodrogues made a 44-ball 66. The two stitched a 113-run partnership for the second wicket after skipper Mandhana (1) was dismissed early. 

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Hayley Matthews (27 off 15) and Sophia Dunkley (19 off 8) provided the late charge. 

Velocity was extremely sloppy on the field as their butterfingered fielders dropped as many as four catches — two in Simran Bahadur’s over.

Simran Bahadur picked up two wickets for 31 runs in three overs for Velocity.

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Brief Scores: Trailblazers: 190 for 5 in 20 overs (Sabbhineni Meghana 73, Jemimah Rodrigues 66; Simran Bahadur 2/31).

With the Trailblazers posting the highest total in the tournament’s history, they will need to restrict Velocity to under 158 runs to qualify for the final this season. 

Harmanpreet Kaur’s Supernovas, after beating Trailblazers by 49 runs and facing a seven-wicket loss against Velocity, made it to the final. 

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Trailblazers could qualify if for the final if they:

– Scored 180, win by more than 32 runs.

– Scored 140, win by more than 31 runs.

– Scored 100, win by more than 30 runs.

Squads:

Velocity Squad: Shafali Verma, Natthakan Chantham, Yastika Bhatia(w), Laura Wolvaardt, Deepti Sharma(c), Kiran Navgire, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Kate Cross, Ayabonga Khaka, Maya Sonawane, Keerthi James, Shivali Shinde, Simran Bahadur, Aarti Kedar, Pranavi Chandra

Trailblazers Squad: Smriti Mandhana(c), Hayley Matthews, Jemimah Rodrigues, Sophia Dunkley, Sharmin Akhter, Richa Ghosh(w), Arundhati Reddy, Salma Khatun, Poonam Yadav, Renuka Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sabbhineni Meghana, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Saika Ishaque, Shradda Bhau Pokharkar, Sujata Mallik