Rodrigues 77*, Velocity and Supernovas in final
Velocity fell short of Supernovas 142 by 12 runs, but the result ensured both sides had a better net run rate than Trailblazers
Velocity fell short of Supernovas 142 by 12 runs, but the result ensured both sides had a better net run rate than Trailblazers
Commentator: Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx)
10.52pm That's all from us in Jaipur. Hope you enjoyed our coverage of the Women's T20 Challenge. The final will be on Saturday, and we'll see you then for the rematch of tonight's encounter. See you soon. Bye!
10.46pm Time for the presentation.
Jemimah Rodrigues, Player of the Match: "It was important for me to play throughout. But was important was what my coach Raman sir said. He said to not hit hard, but instead play smart. The confidence I get while playing the on-drive, it's the most enjoyable. I was just searching for good impact, and playing according to the field. Because I'm batting well I need to bat through for the final as well. Need to keep things simple."
Harmanpreet, the winning captain: "We didn't bat well in the Powerplay. But the wicket was slow, and 140 was decent. The bowlers bowled really well too. This tournament is important because we are looking for young girls to perform. We are now hoping for a good final. But it's not only about the juniors. It's for everyone, and if they do well for future tournaments, that's also good. Going for 117 was their planning, but for us it was about winning the game. We had to win to qualify, so we were focusing on ourselves."
S. Halder: "And when Dhoni is 17 off 32 in a T20 he knows what he's doing and playing smart cricket :/ Love both Raj and MS, but all critics of her knock need to get #perspective"
Sabareesh Mamid: "What started as an exciting contest turned out to be a damp squib, thanks to some conservative thinking! :("
Poonam Yadav: "When I came to bowl, I was told to bowl slow."
Sachin T.: "Desert Storm is a freak accident, a collision of genius and luck. Raj has given her all and helped her team qualify in a desert region today, just a few days later she will play a similar knock and win the cup for her team at the same time!"
Prakhar: "First of all, the squad composition is so not equal in this WIPL Championship.. The Batting strengths of Trailblazers & Supernovas can't be matched by Velocity.. Also, the bowling strength of Supernovas, was the best among the three.. Inspite of that disadvantage, to carry your side to the finals, by contributing in both the matches, Mithali Raj deserves a huge credit for it! "
Abhijato: "Mithali Raj played the perfect innings for her team, and yet she's facing so much criticism! You can't get it all, can you? She ensured her team qualified, and that's all that matters in a professional competition as long as you don't tread on the grey areas of the law. Here's to hoping she plays a match-winning innings in the final which will lay to rest all doubts about her mystic ability of finding success!"
Pri: "@Manu: The end goal is to play in the finals, not necessarily to win the match. Going for the win means playing riskier shots, putting yourself in a situation to potentially lose AND miss out on the final if you don't make the runs needed to qualify. This is big picture thinking. "
hippu: "there should have been one more round of matches before the final... that would have made the point table interesting."
Mithali Raj, the losing captain: "A couple of our bowlers didn't have a good day, and a few misfields too, but considering the batting Supernovas had, I think we had to restrict them. Yes, we felt if the openers had a good start then we will go for the total. But we had to recheck our plans after Wyatt's wicket. She played really well, we would've gone for the win had she still been around. We knew we needed 117 to qualify, so everyone was aware of the plan. We don't play too many matches under the lights, so that's probably why the catches were missed."
Imtiyaz: "This is simply against the spirit of the game - you cannot play like this in a tournament that is meant to showcase the talent of women cricketers. "
10.34pm Harmanpreet's Supernovas secure qualification after losing the first game, and Velocity's big win over Trailblazers yesterday sees them through too. The final on Saturday will be Supernovas v Velocity for the first title of the Women's T20 Challenge. Harmanpreet congratulates her team-mates, and now the two teams shake hands. They'll both be pleased with the result.
Bala: "Sad to see Smriti going away because of Raj's approach to the game "
Amogh K: "The criticism being made on Raj is uncalled for. Velocity were going for the win till 10-over mark. But after Wyatt's wicket, it was Raj's responsibility to stay till the end and qualify (and also avoid last match like situation). The problem was Veda couldn't get going and that's when Raj evaluated the situation very well."
Baundule: "Mithali Raj has lost at least one fan in this match."
Ishardeep Singh: "Completely Agree with @Manu. M Raj need to set example for kids to follow. Always stay hungry for win. "
Tanny: "It wasn't an easy pitch to bat. Better to ensure qualification than try a stunt and miss out the final" -- desert storm, anyone? We're in Jaipur after all
Rohish: "@all that are calling for Trailblazers to be more deserving, I say they did not show any initiative when they had a chance in their batting innings yesterday. I hope Velocity can pull off a win tomorrow to teach the newbie's some respect"
jay: "Raj has made sure her team is in final. Dhoni like captaincy?? "
Manu: "With all due respect to the legend, Mithali Raj's batting and lack of intent to win is a terrible advertisement for women's cricket, which is looking for a lift-off with the WIPL. "
Final over. If Trailblazers need to qualify, they must hope that Velocity score 23 off the final over. Not looking good for Mandhana and co!
The batsman said that the collapse against Trailblazers in their earlier match had made the team cautious
Velocity fell short of Supernovas 142 by 12 runs, but the result ensured both sides had a better net run rate than Trailblazers