Women’s T20 challenge 2020, Highlights, Supernovas vs Velocity, Full Cricket Score: Sune Luus helps Velocity claim five-wicket win

After 19.5 overs, Velocity 129/5 (Luus 37, Pandey 2)

Siriwardene bowls the final over. Pandey collects a single off the first delivery, with Luus bringing the equation further down with a boundary off the second. Single off each of the next two balls, with Luus hitting the winning boundary — albeit off a thick outside edge that is too quick for the keeper to grab. Velocity begin their campaign with a five-wicket win over the Supernovas!

This is the first time Velocity have beaten Supernovas, having lost both games played between the two sides till date!

After 19 overs, Velocity 118/5 (Luus 28, Pandey 0)

Poonam bowls the crucial penultimate over of the run chase, Harmanpreet putting in place a packed off side cordon for her. Single to Verma off the second delivery, followed by some good running that allows Luus to collect a brace off the third. Luus brings Sushma back on strike with a single off the fourth, completing the fifty stand. Poonam, however, gets the breakthrough right after as Sushma holes out to Harman at long on. Six off the over, including a brace off the last delivery. Velocity need 9 off 6!

OUT! Supernovas aren’t out of this contest yet! Sushma Verma tries to go big downtown off Poonam’s bowling, but doesn’t get the distance this time, and Harman isn’t exactly one to drop such chances. VEL 116/5

Sushma c Harmanpreet b Poonam 34(33)

After 18 overs, Velocity 112/4 (Sushma 33, Luus 23)

Khaka, the pick of the Supernovas as far as the bowlers are concerned, returns to the attack as the run chase reaches its business end. Starts off with a couple of wides down the leg side, with Bhatia missing the chance to stump her Velocity counterpart Sushma in the second one. Khaka bowls a full toss off the third, with fellow South African Luus easily dispatching it behind square on the leg side for a boundary. Single off each of the last two balls. Velocity need 15 off 12 with six wickets in hand.

After 17 overs, Velocity 102/4 (Sushma 31, Luus 17)

Siriwardene back into the attack. Single off each of the first two deliveries, with some fine work by the fielder at deep midwicket after a well-timed heave by Sushma saving a couple of runs for Supernovas. Another six for Sushma off the fourth delivery, clearing the leaping long on fielder to bring up the 100 for her side. Single off each of the last two balls. Velocity need 25 off 18 now, with the asking rate now a shade above eight an over.

After 16 overs, Velocity 91/4 (Sushma 22, Luus 15)

Big over for Velocity, just what Velocity needed to keep the asking rate under check as Sushma and Luus collect a six each after Harman brings Poonam back into the attack, with 14 coming off this over. Asking rate suddenly has come down from 10 to 9 after this over. Velocity need 36 off 24.

After 15 overs, Velocity 77/4 (Sushma 15, Luus 8)

Good running between the wickets by Luus and Sushma as the former collects a double off the third delivery, before getting down on one knee to slog sweep the ball towards deep midwicket for a four. Luus nearly becomes Radha’s second wicket as she chips the ball towards extra cover, where Athapaththu puts in a dive in vain. Radha signs off with figures of 1/25. Velocity need 50 off 30.

After 14 overs, Velocity 68/4 (Sushma 13, Luus 1)

Sune Luus — just 24 years of age but with considerable experience behind her with more than 150 international appearance to her credit — walks out to bat next, getting off the mark with a single off the fourth delivery of the over. Tidy over to end Selman’s quota for the evening as the West Indian signs off with 4-0-19-0. Velocity need 59 off 36

After 13 overs, Velocity 65/4 (Sushma 11)

Radha Yadav brought back into the over now. Veda collects a single off the first, with a misfield by Poonam at backward square leg allowing Sushma to come back for a second off the next delivery. Single off each of the next three deliveries as the pair rotate the strike between themselves. Huge wicket for Radha off the last delivery as Veda holes out to Athapaththu at extra cover to depart for 29! Velocity need 62 off 42 balls.

OUT! Big wicket for Supernovas as the set batter Veda holes out to Athapaththu standing at extra cover while trying to accelerate the innings at this stage! VEL 65/4

Krishnamurthy c Athapaththu b Radha 29(28)

After 12 overs, Velocity 59/3 (Krishnamurthy 27, Sushma 7)

Harmanpreet gives Selman another crack in the middle overs after a tidy spell earlier in the innings. Veda gets down on one knee and lofts the ball over the leaping mid off fielder off the very first delivery. Single off each of the next four deliveries, with the last ball going for a dot. Velocity need another 68 off 48 balls.

After 11 overs, Velocity 50/3 (Krishnamurthy 20, Sushma 5)

Krishnamurthy collects her third boundary with a well-directed slog sweep towards the deep backward square-leg fence off the third ball, before bringing up the team fifty with a single off the fourth. Dot off each off the last two deliveries in Siriwardene’s second over.

After 10 overs, Velocity 44/3 (Krishnamurthy 15, Sushma 4)

Poonam into her second over. Veda gets a single off a thick inside edge — quite a few of which have occurred in her innings so far — off the first ball. Sushma brings her back on strike with a single three balls later. Leg bye and a single off the last two deliveries to close out another tidy over for the leg-spinner.

After 9 overs, Velocity 40/3 (Krishnamurthy 14, Sushma 2)

Shashikala Siriwardene brought into the attack this time as Harmanpreet continues with spin, a move that fetches the Supernovas the wicket of Mithali — who hits straight to Selman standing at deep midwicket. Timeout signalled after the wicket, with Sushma Verma walking out to bat next, and getting off the mark rightaway with a double.

OUT! Siriwardene strikes just three balls into her first over of the evening as Mithali fails to get the required distance in her slog sweep, getting caught by Selman standing at deep midwicket. Umpire signals timeout after this wicket. VEL 38/3

Raj c Selman b Siriwardene 7(19)

After 8 overs, Velocity 38/2 (Raj 7, Krishnamurthy 14)

Veda charges down the pitch to a loopy full toss from Radha off the first delivery, guiding the ball towards cow corner to collect her second boundary. The pair then deal in singles for the next four deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking, with the last ball going for a dot.

After 7 overs, Velocity 30/2 (Raj 5, Krishnamurthy 8)

Spin from both ends now as Harmanpreet brings wily leggie Poonam Yadav into the attack in the seventh over of the innings. Mithali runs the ball towards long off for a single at the start of the over, with Krishnamurthy following suit two balls later. Brace to Raj off the fourth after a cut through cover point. Dot off each of the last two balls. Neat start for the Poonam.

After 6 overs, Velocity 26/2 (Raj 2, Krishnamurthy 7)

Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav introduced into the attack in place of Shakera Selman in the last over of powerplay, and she starts off on a tidy note, giving away just two singles. Advantage Supernovas so far.

After 5 overs, Velocity 24/2 (Raj 1, Krishnamurthy 6)

A third over on the bounce for Ayabonga Khaka. The South African nearly gets a third wicket as Veda miscues towards mid on, with the ball landing just short of Harman. Veda then heaves the ball over extra cover to collect her first boundary of the innings. Harman puts a sweeper in that direction later in the over to counter that particular shot of hers. Another near-miss off the last ball following another mishit, this time extra cover nearly pulling off a screamer after diving to her right.

After 4 overs, Velocity 19/2 (Raj 1, Krishnamurthy 1)

The departure of the openers does slow Velocity down a little as skipper Mithali and new batter Veda are content with collecting a single each.

After 3 overs, Velocity 17/2 (Raj 0, Krishnamurthy 0)

Shafali continues to attack in this over, collecting a hat-trick of boundaries off Khaka’s bowling as she sends the ball racing away to all parts of the ground. Unfortunately for her and her team, she holes out to Selman at deep midwicket off the last delivery after getting a juicy full toss bowled at her.

OUT! A shot too many from Shafali and this results in her exit! Full toss to the right-hand bat, Shafali’s eye light up and she goes for a heave towards deep midwicket, but hits this from the toe end. Results in a simple catch for Selman. VEL 17/2

Shafali c Selman b Khaka 17(11)