Women’s Challengers: Rana vs Vastrakar clash in final

CHENNAI: After collapsing to 57/4 in their final league game against India A, Pooja Vastrakar led from the front with a magnificent run-a-ball 96, taking India D to 219/7 in Vijayawada on Tuesday. The allrounder smashed six boundaries and four sixes before getting out on the last ball of the innings. Renuka Singh Thakur shone with the ball for India A, taking three wickets. 

In reply, Disha Kasat top-scored with a 73-ball 51, but Sneh Rana’s India A fell short by 22 runs. The two teams will face each other again in the final on Thursday.For India B to qualify, they had to beat India C in the other match, and wanted India A to lose against India D. Batting first, Anushka Sharma and Priya Punia scored half-centuries for India C, but they slumped from 150/3 to 212 all out, thanks to Chandu V’s five-wicket haul. 

Chasing a sub-par total, India B skipper Taniya Bhatia promoted herself to open the batting, but the move did not work as she could manage only 30 runs from 48 balls before getting out to Tarannum Pathan.  C Prathyusha and Pathan picked up wickets at regular intervals as India B finished with 187/8 in 50 overs, falling short by 25 runs. Pathan was the pick of the bowlers for India C with 4/39 in her 10 overs.

Brief scores: India D 219/7 in 50 ovs (Vastrakar 96; thakur 3/47) bt India A 197/7 in 50 ovs (Kasat 51; Ishaque 2/31); India C 212 in 48.2 ovs (Anushka 63; Chandu V 5/40) bt India B 187/8 in 50 ovs (Deol 46; Pathan 4/39).