Women’s T20 Challenge | Throwing away the wickets cost us the game, says Harmanpreet Kaur

05/07/2019

Harmanpreet Kaur has stated that throwing away wickets at a regular interval resulted in IPL Supernovas conceding the game to Smriti Mandhana-led IPL Trailblazers. On the other hand, her teammate Sophie Devine added that it was disappointing to get so close and eventually lose the game.

Mandhana scored a crafty 90 to propel her side to a comfortable total of 140 runs that the skipper admitted was above par. However, Supernovas, who had the bragging rights of winning the last year’s corresponding encounter, lost three wickets for 19, which meant they were left to get 66 runs off final seven overs.

However, all was not lost for them as Harmanpreet Kaur and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine joined hands to score a brisk 48-run partnership before Sophie Ecclestone cut short the latter's stay, dismissing her in the 13th over. From then onwards, Harmanpreet made a valiant fight, but that was never enough as the team fell short of just a couple of runs. Harmanpreet was not happy with the batters in her team as she felt they gave away their wickets after getting set in the middle.

"I knew if I played till the end, I had the confidence I can win the game. But Sophie bowled really well in the 19th over, and that changed the game. We bowled really well in the first 10 overs, but in the last 10, we didn't execute our plans," Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation, reported India Today.

"No doubt, Smriti also batted really well. When we were getting runs, we threw away wickets too, and that was the reason we didn't win. I'm really happy both teams played really well, that's what we wanted.”

Devine had a big role to play in taking the game close, but when she exited the scene, Harmanpreet had a task of getting their team 19 off the seven remaining deliveries. While the skipper was very much capable of it, and as a matter of fact, she even hit four of the first five deliveries of the final over by Jhulan Goswami to the ropes, the team fell short by two runs. Devine said it was disappointing to get so close and lose.

"It was disappointing to get so close. I thought we left it a little bit too much for later at the end there. To make 30 off the last three overs on a pitch that was a little bit tricky was asking a bit too much. But, Harmanpreet can do those sorts of things and she took us very close to what could have been a great win."

"Me and Lea Tahuhu, when we saw the team lists, [went like] 'it's nice to have her on our team finally'. We've got nightmares of her just smashing us all around the park and knocking us out of the World Cup. She's a fantastic player and it's awesome to be on her side and not bowling to her."

Now, the Mandhana-led Trailblazers will take on Velocity, led by Mithali Raj, on May 8 while the Supernovas will face Velocity on May 9.