There was no hat-trick for Supernovas. Its quest for a third straight title was thwarted by Trailblazers, which won by 16 runs in Sharjah on Monday night.
Smriti Mandhana’s side may not have been too happy with its total of 118 for eight, but the bowlers and the fielders did well to defend it. It was the skipper’s 68 off 49 balls (5x4, 3x6) that proved to be the match-swinging one.
Trailblazers could have made a lot more, but for a five-wicket haul from Radha Yadav. From 112 for two, it crashed to 118 for eight. The left-arm spinner's figures – five for 16 – is the best in the three-year tournament.
Smriti smashed 14 off the last three balls off off-spinner Anuja Patil’s first over, the second of the innings. Her lofted six off the last ball, after dancing down the track, was an indication of things to come. She was all grace and timing and more than made up for the uncharacteristically sluggish batting from her opening partner Deandra Dottin (20, 32b, 1x4).
The two added 71 before the West Indian ballooned a catch to Radha at mid-on off Shashikala Siriwardene. Three overs later, Smriti was dismissed by a smart piece of stumping by Taniya Bhatiya off leg-spinner Poonam Yadav.
Supernovas’ chase was never on. Chamari Atapattu was out leg-before to Sophie Ecclestone after a review and Jemimah Rodrigues was brilliantly caught by Nattakan Chantam at cover point as the defending champion slid to 37 for three in the ninth over.
Only Harmanpreet (30, 36b, 2x4) could have turned it around. But she was far from fit and once she fell in the penultimate over, it was curtains for Supernovas.
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