Supernovas nearly made meal of a fairly easy chase but somehow managed to hit the winnings runs off the last ball to register a three wicket win over the Trailblazers in the IPL Women’s T20 Challenge match.


For the record, Supernovas chased down a target of 130 in a last-ball finish. 


Needing 10 runs in last two overs, Ellyse Perry (13 not out) struck a boundary off Ekta Bisht but Mona Meshram (4) was run out by Smriti Mandhana off the last bowl of the penultimate over.


Needing four off the last over, New Zealand international Suzie Bates conceded just a single in the first three deliveries bringing the equation down to run-a-ball.


A composed Pooja Vastrakar (2 not out) lofted to mid-wicket and completed a single  to ensure a win for her side.


While a women's IPL is a novel idea, the response at ground zero was a testimony that BCCI still has some way to go before the idea takes a final shape.


The lukewarm response was largely due to timing of the match as Mumbaikars decided to conserve their energies for the 7pm cracker.


Also, the BCCI diluted the concept, allowing all players from either side to take part in the match.


India's ODI captain Mithali Raj decided against fielding, something that didn't go unnoticed considering the likes of Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Sophie Devine showed utmost professionalism in adverse weather conditions.


The catch that Perry took to dismiss Jemimah Rodrigues during the Trailblazers innings was out of top drawer. Ditto for Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy's top-notch fielding efforts.


However, a women's IPL can only be a reality if the timings are suitable for spectators and may be taken to Tier-2 cities where response would be much more than metros which have their own IPL teams.


Back to the match, chasing 130, veteran Mithali (22) and Dani Wyatt conjured a 47-run-stand for the opening wicket. Mithali stuck a six, the first of the match and followed it with a boundary in the fifth over. But spinner Ekta Bisht broke the stand removing Mithali, who was caught by Lea Tahuhu.


But as it looked that Wyatt was taking the game away from Trailblazers, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav cut short her stay at the crease.


Australian skipper Meg Lanning (16) was in her element before giving a sitter to Jemimah Rodrigues at long-off as the Supernovas slumped to 71/3 after a strong start.


But then Harmapreet Kaur (21) and Sophie Divine (19) stitched a crucial 36-run-stand that took the game away from the Trailblazers.


Trailblazers batting


A disciplined bowling performance aided by some outstanding fielding helped the Supernovas restrict the Trailblazers to 129 for six in the IPL Women’s T20 Challenge match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.


After being put into bat, Trailblazers were jolted with early wickets. Australia’s Megan Schutt struck twice with the new ball, removing Healey and Beth Mooney cheaply to rip apart the Trailblazers’ top-order. In between Elyssa Perry chipped in with the wicket of opposition captain Smriti Mandhana as the Trailblazers were reduced to 26 for 3.


Interestingly, on all the three occasions, fielding played a crucial role as the Supernovas’ fielders hung on to some stunning catches.


New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates and India’s young Deepti Sharma then tried to resurrect the innings before Deepti was dismissed by Gayakwad for 21.


17-year-old Jemmiamah Rodrigues played a nice cameo of 25 off 23 deliveries to further aid Bates, who top scored with 32.


For Supernovas, Schutt and Perry picked up two wickets apiece.


Toss


Supernovas' skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to field against the Smriti Mandhana-led Trailblazers in an one-off "IPL-styled" women's T20 face-off at the Wankhede stadium on Tuesday.

Both the sides consist of five foreign players each as the historic match precedes the first qualifier of the Indian Premier League between the Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same venue.







Playing XIs:

IPL Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Danielle Wyatt, Mithali Raj, Meg Lanning, Taniya Bhatia (Wicket-keeper), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Pooja Vastrakar, Megan Schutt

IPL Trailblazers: Alyssa Healy (Wicket-keeper), Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Deepti Sharma, Danielle Hazell, Jhulan Goswami, Suzie Bates, Shikha Pandey, Beth Mooney, Ekta Bisht, Lea Tahuhu, Jemimah Rodrigues


 


PREVIEW


Stage is set for a historical IPL exhibition match between Trailblazers led by Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur's Supernovas at the Wankhede Stadium and players believe it would be a stepping stone for the launch of a women's T20 league in the country.


Leading women players like Kiwi Suzie Bates, Aussies Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt and England's Danielle Wyatt will be part of the game which will take place before the Qualifier 1 between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.


"It is very exciting for all of us to be playing this exhibition match and thankful to BCCI for organising such a unique match and it is a stepping show to the IPL. And hopefully, we will put up a good show and audience and BCCI people will think of having a IPL," Mandhana told reporters.


"Everyone wants to put up a good show and bring women's cricket to the world. This is the first-ever match we will be playing with foreign players on Indian soil. Everyone is excited to part of this historical moment. We all are looking forward to put up a good show so that we can express ourselves in front of audience and BCCI that IPL will be good to watch also."


Mandhana believes that an women's IPL can take place with four teams but admits that there aren't enough players for an eight-team tournament.


"Well we cannot have eight teams, but we can have an IPL of 4-5 teams to start with, definitely not eight teams, not right now.


"Four to five teams, to start with is a good initiative, because when men's IPL started, first two seasons only foreigners scored and later on we started developing our bench-strength, you never know that same can happen with women's cricket.


"Through IPL its easier to develop the bench-strength. The girls will be playing with all the foreign players along with us and they will learn much more quicker and the bench strength will be more quicker...," explained Mandhana.


Similarly, dashing batter Harmanpreet Kaur feels that the players were waiting for this kind of a match since a long time.


"We are very excited and were waiting since a long time when we could play an IPL like tournament. We are happy that we have got an opportunity tomorrow and hopefully we will get a good match tomorrow."


Asked whether India has players that could make up four teams for Women's IPL, Kaur answered positively saying, "Yes I do think."


"We have 20 girls who are representing India - be it T20, 50 over apart from it there is India A team. We do have 30-35 girls. Everything else depends on tomorrow's match and how we get response from the public. And if there is good response, BCCI is very keen to form such a T20 tournament from next year.


"Earlier there were not many players. But last two years we have got tournaments and BCCI has organized camps, so now there 30-35 girls who can strictly focus on the League, it is starting tomorrow and in the years to come we can get a good tournament," she explained.


Kiwi Suzie Batez also feels that in the future Women's IPL could be a reality.


"Just so excited for all the girls to have an opportunity to play tomorrow and in the future we can have women's IPL and more players and more Indian players get an opportunity," she said.


Batez admits that though it is an exhibition game, there will be a lot of nerves.


"So there's going to be a lot of nerves. We want a really good game for cricket. But look, I'm sure girls and going to be excited, and some girls are going to want to shine in the spotlight.


"That's what we want to see. We've seen it in the men's game, that players just love the hype and crowds getting into it and such things," she signed off.


The Squads:


IPL Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Alyssa Healy (wk), Suzie Bates, Deepti Sharma, Beth Mooney, Jemimah Rodrigues, Danielle Hazell, Shikha Pandey, Lea Tahuhu, Jhulan Goswami, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav, Dayalan Hemalatha.


IPL Supernova: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Danielle Wyatt, Mithali Raj, Meg Lanning, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Pooja Vastrakar, Megan Schutt, Rajseshwari Gayakwad, Anuja Patil, Taniya Bhatia (wicket keeper)