Supernovas pip Trailblazers in first ever Women's IPL T20 clash

In the first ever Women’s IPL T20 match, the Supernovas chased down the Trailblazers 129-6 to win off the last ball.

Kiwi Suzie Bates top-scored for the Trailblazers with 32 off 37 balls, but the ‘Blazers couldn’t break the shackles of some tight bowling from the Supernovas. Teenager Jemimah Rodrigues (25 off 23 balls) and 2o-year-old Deepti Sharma (21 off 22 balls) weighed in with valuable contributions, but they ended the innings with a run rate just under seven to the over.

Australian Megan Schutt was superb with the ball, taking 2-18 off her four overs (economy 4.5), backed by countrywoman Ellyse Perry with 2-20. Rajeshwari Gayakwad took an economical 1-25 at 5.25 to the over.

The Supernovas got off to a flying start with 12 runs off the first over, with Mithali Raj (22 off 17, three fours, one six) and England’s Danielle Wyatt (24 off 20, two fours, one six) racing to 47 within the first six overs before wickets started to fall.

Meg Lanning (16), skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (21) and Sophie Devine (19) kept the scoreboard ticking over amid tight bowling from the Trailblazers. Pooja Vastrakar hit the winning run through midwicket off the last ball, ending two not out. Suzie Bates (2-16), Poonam Yadav (2-21) and Jhulan Goswami (1-22) were all under six runs to the over, with Bates picking up the Player of the Match honours: ‘We were short with the bat, struggled through that middle order. Nice to keep the game close in the end. I was more of a bowling all-rounder today,’ said Bates.

Trailblazers skipper Smriti Mandhana was proud of her team, saying that ‘our girls did brilliantly to take it to the last ball. You always feel like you’re 10 short. Wicket was really slow – 145-150 would have been a good score to defend. In T20s, you can defend anything and any score can get chased. I told her I’m not playing Playstation with you because she [Harmanpreet Kaur] took that catch.’

Scorecard