Chandigarh, Amritsar declared joint

In a nail-biting finish, Chandigarh and Amritsar women were declared joint-winners when the match finished in a tie during the final of the Punjab U-19 inter-district tournament that concluded at the Guru Nanak Public School-36 in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Winning the toss, Chandigarh skipper Shivani Nayyar chose to bat first. Taking the charge, Shivani along with the in-form Aakriti opened the innings for Chandigarh. Batting confidently, right-handed batswoman Shivani Nayyar unleashed flurry of shots and put the Amritsar bowlers on the back foot. Aakriti could not continue with her fine-form and was removed early by medium-pacer Monika Mehra. Right-handed batswoman Lalita joined skipper Shivani and provided some stability to the innings. Soon, Lalita perished. Shivani continued making runs for her team but did not get enough support from the other end as wickets kept on falling regularly. Finally, Shivani also got out leaving Chandigarh reeling under pressure. The hosts could muster 116 runs in the allotted 50 overs. Medium-pacer Monika Mehra and left-arm spinner Renu Verma wrecked the opposition with their accurate bowling. Monika scalped 3 for 28, while Renu took 2 for 17, respectively.

It looked like as if the run-chase would be a cakewalk for the defending champions, but Amritsar women made a mess as their batting order crumbled. Six-run outs and casual approach affected Amritsar8217;s chances. It was Renu Verma 33 and Navdeep 26 shone with the bat for the visitors. Later in the match, Amritsar were tottering at 116 for 7 in 42 nd over, and could not surpass 116 losing 3 wickets successively. They just needed one run to clinch the tournament, but Chandigarh medium-pacer Aarshiya bowled a stunner to trap last Amritsar batswoman leg before the wicket. The match got tied.

With this brilliant performance, Chandigarh has stamped their authority at the U-19 circuit, considering the fact they have been declared joint winners with the defending champions Amritsar. Based on their performances in this tournament, players will be selected for the U-19 State tournament to be held in October.

Brief Scores:

Chandigarh: 116 for 9 in 50 overs Shivani Nayyar 42, Lalita 18, Monika Mehra 3 for 28, Renu Verma 2 for 17

Amritsar: 116 all out in 43.3 overs Renu Verma 33, Navdeep 26, Anjali 14, Radhika Bhutani 2 for 24, Hema 2 for 24