Radha Yadav
Smriti Mandhana struck an elegant 68 off 49 balls before Radha Yadav scripted a remarkable comeback for Supernovas with a five-wicket haul to restrict Trailblazers to 118 for eight in the final of the Women's T20 Challenge here on Monday.
Mandhana in full flow is always a treat to watch and it was no different in the title clash after opposition skipper Harmanpreet Kaur put the Trailblazers in to bat.
However, her effort was the only bright spot for the Trailblazers in what turned out to be an ordinary batting effort after they were 71 for no loss in 11 overs.
Yadav, who bowled a match-winning final over against the same opponents on Saturday, ended with figures of five for 16 in four overs.
Mandhana's cover drives were as delightful as her three straight sixes and it seemed she was batting on a different surface. Her opening partner Deandra Dottin (20 off 32) got a start but struggled to find the boundaries.
Mandhana got going by smashing offie Anuja Patil for a couple of fours and a maximum in the second over. The southpaw was happy to bat first and at 56 for no loss in seven overs, the Trailblazers looked like on course for a 150-plus total.
However, runs dried up after the powerplay with the ball getting older. The experienced spin duo of Poonam Yadav and Shashikala Siriwardene cut the flow of runs with their accurate spells, picking up a wicket each in the process.
Mandhana got stumped off Siriwardene in the 15th over and after that, it was all downhill for her team.
Yadav ran through the opposition batting line-up with three wickets in the 20th over.
