Women’s T20 Challenge 2020, Highlights, Trailblazers vs Supernovas Final, Full Cricket Score: Trailblazers clinch maiden title with 16-run win

And that brings us to the end of our coverage of the Women’s T20 Challenge 2020, which saw India such as Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur among others in action for the first time since the T20 World Cup in March earlier this year. And barring the second game that saw Velocity get bowled out for a lowly 47, which ultimately proved to be the knockout punch for them, the tournament witnessed some quality competition between the sides, which hopefully will prompt the BCCI to give the women a longer tournament next year with at least six group stage games before the final, even if introduction of playoffs is still a long way off.

Hope you enjoyed our coverage of the third edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge. Time for us to shift our attention to the men’s final that takes place tomorrow evening, with defending champions Mumbai Indians facing first-time finalists Delhi Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where Rohit Sharma and Co coasted to a 57-run win in Qualifier 1 and certainly start favourites in the final.

For now, we bid you all good night!

Trailblazers captain Smriti Mandhana (Player of the Match): The first one-two months of the lockdown, it was good to spend time with the family. But I think in the last three-four months we got time to go out and start hitting some balls. It was a good time for all of us to go back and work on ourselves which we don't get usually. My wicket was crucial because this wicket was tough to bat on. The set batswomen needed to bat on, 140 was quite achievable. I just told the girls that these are the last 20 overs of the tournament. Due to the coronavirus situation we don't know when we'll come out next, so we wanted to give it our all.135 would have been ideal but nevertheless 118 was good on this wicket. It was nice for the youngsters to be able to bowl to players like Dottin before being selected into the national side. 

Radha Yadav: Feels great, but the fact that we didn’t win does hurt as well. I was extremely pleased by the track as it assisted turn quite a bit. I just aimed to keep it normal today. Worked extremely hard on my bowling during the lockdown, the results of which are visible. I was consistently playing as well, so didn’t really feel too rusty ahead of this tournament.

Radha Yadav is adjudged the Player of the Series (8 wickets)!

Supernovas captain Harmanpreet Kaur: Well the injury is not that bad. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it this time. But it’s a part and parcel of the game. It wasn’t that difficult a total to chase but we failed to get two big partnerships. Sitting at home was really difficult, but we have to respect the things that are going on and be safe. Yes definitely, women's cricket is back.

Harleen Deol and Deepti Sharma after the win:

“We lost by a close margin the last time, so we were determined to beat them this time around,” says Trailblazers’ Harleen Deol after the win. We’ve played against them in the past, so knew what to bowl to their batters," says Deol.

“I put in a lot of work after the lockdown both with the bat as well as with the ball. We had meetings in which he we planned according to the batters. The wicket was a little slow and low today which helped us," says Sharma

After 20 overs, Supernovas 102/7 (Radha 5, Selman 4)

TRAILBLAZERS ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONS! For the first time, we don’t see Harmanpreet Kaur and Co lifting the trophy in the Women’s T20 Challenge as Smriti Mandhana's side pull off a 16-run win!

Ecclestone bowls out the final over — which is reduced to a mere formality given the events of the previous over — conceding just seven off it as Supernovas finish on a disappointing 102/7 after being set a modest 119 to win.

After 19 overs, Supernovas 95/7 (Radha 2, Selman 0)

Salma Khatun bowls the crucial penultimate over. Harmanpreet turns down a second run after Patil heaves the ball towards deep square leg off the first delivery. The skipper targets the same area next delivery, only this time calling for a second that results in Patil falling short of the non-striker’s end by an inch. Khatun then effectively seals the game in the Trailblazers’ favour by getting rid of Harmanpreet and Vastrakar off the remaining deliveries as the Supernovas are reduced to 95/7, needing another 24 off the final over. Khatun signs off with superb figures of 3/18 at the end of her quota.

OUT! Vastrakar's gone for a golden duck now, getting a thick top edge while looking to smash Khatun out of the park, resulting in a dolly for Ecclestone at short midwicket! Supernovas 94/7

Vastrakar c Ecclestone b Khatun 0(1)

OUT! Salman Khatun effectively seals the game in the Trailblazers' favour by getting rid of Harmanpreet Kaur, who steps out of her crease looking for a maximum, but misses completely to hear the death rattle behind her! Supernovas 93/6

Harmanpreet b Khatun 30(36)