On May 26, Trailblazers and Velocity will clash in the final league match. This game's outcome will decide the fate of all the three teams in the competition, and hence, we can expect a thriller in our hands.
In their opening encounter, trailblazers were humbled by Harmanpreet Kaur-led Supernovas, with the latter winning by 49 runs. And the very next day, Deepti Sharma's Velocity made short work of Supernovas' challenging target of 151.
Shafali Verma, high on confidence after a stellar show in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, got Velocity off to a flier. While her blistering knock laid the chase's foundation, Laura Wolvaardt took the team over the line.
Defeating the star-studded Supernovas has been a big feat for Velocity. Kate Cross was very influential at the top with her accurate bowling. And then the spinners came in to apply the brakes. Only Harmanpreet Kaur's brilliance pushed Velocity on the back foot for some time.
The ploy to play Laura Wolvaardt in the middle order has also borne fruit. In Wolvaardt, they have got a top-notch batter to lend the finishing touches. The team management may be tempted to have the in-form Kiran Navgire open with Shafali. Thailand's Natthakan Chantam failed to make an impact against Supernovas and may be pushed to the lower-middle order.
Trailblazers have glaring issues to address. Besides Smriti Mandhana, Hayley Matthews and Jemimah Rodrigues, none of the established batters reached the double-digit score.
With Matthews opening, Bangladesh's Sharmin Akhter was pushed to the middle order. And another exciting prospect, S.Meghana had to sit out. Trailblazers need to figure out their batting order before the all-important clash. It will be a challenging task for the management, with the squad replete with openers.
Trailblazers will also want Sophia Dunkley and Richa Ghosh to deliver with the bat. Their seam options, Renuka Singh and Arundhati Reddy, were erratic. Maharashtra's rising left-arm pacer, SB Pokharkar, may receive her debut cap in the do-or-die match for the team.
Match Details:
Match: Velocity vs Trailblazers, 3rd Match
Date: May 26 2022
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Watch it on: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar
Pitch Report: While defending to win has been the order of the day at the MCA Stadium. Velocity switched things up a bit, and they chased down a competitive total with relative ease. Irrespective of the decision at the toss, the pitch is likely to help the batters. Speedsters with variations and spinners can also get some purchase off the wicket with disciplined bowling.
Squads:
Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (c), Poonam Yadav (VC), Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh (wk), S Meghana, Saiqa Ishaque, Sujata Mallik, SB Pokharkar, Salma Khatun (Bangladesh), Sharmin Akhter (Bangladesh), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Sophia Dunkley (England)
Velocity: Deepti Sharma (c), Sneh Rana (VC), Shafali Verma, KP Navgire, Keerthi James, Maya Sonawane, Radha Yadav, Aarti Kedar, Shivali Shinde, Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Pranavi Chandra, Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Kathryn Cross (England), Natthakan Chantam (Thailand)
Probable Playing XI:
Velocity: Shafali Verma, KP Navgire, Laura Wolvaardt, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma (c), Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Natthakan Chantam, Ayabonga Khaka, Kathryn Cross, Maya Sonawane/Aarti Kedar
Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (c), Hayley Matthews, Jemimah Rodrigues, S Meghana/Sharmin Akhter, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sophia Dunkley, Salma Khatun, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh/SB Pokharkar
CREX XI Suggestions:
Wicketkeeper: Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh
Batters: Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Smriti Mandhana
All-rounders: Deepti Sharma, Hayley Matthews, Salma Khatun
Bowlers: Kathryn Cross, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayabonga Khaka
Captain: Laura Wolvaardt
Vice-captain: Smriti Mandhana