Argentina Women signed off their home T20I series against Canada Women with a hard-fought two-wicket victory in the seventh and final match at St George’s College Ground, Buenos Aires. Chasing a modest target, the hosts survived a late wobble before reaching 70/8 in 17.3 overs, sealing the contest with 15 balls to spare. Earlier, a sensational spell from Malena Lollo, who finished with 4/6, laid the platform for Argentina’s victory and earned her the Player of the Match award, while the win also confirmed a 5-1 series triumph for the home side.
After electing to bat first, Canada Women endured a disastrous start as Argentina’s bowlers dominated from the very beginning. Opener Achini Perera was dismissed for a first-ball duck by Malena Lollo, leaving Canada at 1/0. The pressure continued when Khadeeja Fatima also departed without scoring after facing just two deliveries, becoming Gabian Lollo’s victim as Canada slipped to 2/0. The visitors then suffered another early setback with Harper Chalmers falling for a duck, caught by Tamara Basile off Malena Lollo, reducing the innings to 3/0 inside the opening over.
Looking to rebuild, Krima Kapadia and Vritti Dahiya steadied the innings with the first meaningful partnership of the match. The pair added 18 runs for the fourth wicket before Kapadia was dismissed for 8 off 17 balls, caught by Fernanda Emch off Malena Lollo. At 21/4, Canada remained under immense pressure, but captain Rabbjyot Rajput attempted to anchor the innings while Dahiya contributed 13 from 25 deliveries. Their 10-run partnership briefly slowed Argentina’s momentum before Dahiya was caught by Maria Mastrangelo off Albertina Galan, leaving Canada at 31/5.
Rajput continued to hold one end together and found some support from Mannat Hundal, who added 4 runs before becoming Galan’s second wicket. The captain then shared a useful 20-run partnership with Snigdha Malhotra, which proved to be Canada’s best stand of the innings. Rajput remained unbeaten on 16 off 31 balls, while Malhotra scored 12 from 26 deliveries, but Canada struggled to accelerate against disciplined bowling. Malhotra eventually fell in the penultimate over, caught by Ana Dei Castelli off Julia Andujar, as Canada finished on 67/8 in their 20 overs, with 14 extras making a significant contribution to the final total.
Argentina’s bowling effort was outstanding from start to finish. Malena Lollo produced the spell of the match, claiming 4 wickets for just 6 runs in four overs at an exceptional economy rate of 1.50, dismantling Canada’s top order. Albertina Galan supported brilliantly with 2/6 in four overs, while Julia Andujar and Maria Mastrangelo chipped in with one wicket each. Ana Dei Castelli bowled economically despite picking up only one wicket, and Alina Emch also maintained pressure through a tidy spell as Canada never recovered from the early collapse.
Chasing 68, Argentina’s innings also got off to a shaky start. Captain Maria Castiñeiras managed only 4 runs before she was run out by Shreya Voya, and moments later Maria Lehmann departed for a duck, caught by Rabbjyot Rajput off Voya, leaving the hosts at 9/2. Albertina Galan attempted to counterattack with 9 off 18 balls, sharing a 28-run partnership with Julieta Cullen, but she was dismissed by Krima Kapadia after the score reached 37/4.
The chase continued to fluctuate as Milagros Bestani made only 2 runs, while Tamara Basile was dismissed without scoring by Vritti Dahiya, leaving Argentina under pressure at 40/5. The responsibility then fell on Julieta Cullen, who produced the most fluent innings of the chase. She struck 24 off 26 deliveries, including one boundary, and added 26 valuable runs with Malena Lollo, taking Argentina within touching distance of the target. Cullen’s dismissal by Krima Kapadia at 42/7 briefly opened the door for Canada.
Canada fought back admirably in the closing stages as Julia Andujar was dismissed for a duck and Malena Lollo fell for 9, giving the visitors hope of an unlikely comeback. However, Alina Emch held her nerve with an unbeaten 19 off 23 balls, striking two boundaries, while Ana Dei Castelli remained unbeaten at the other end to guide Argentina home. The hosts eventually reached 70/8 in 17.3 overs, completing a tense two-wicket victory and finishing the series on a high.
Canada’s bowlers produced a spirited effort while defending a small total. Krima Kapadia was the pick of the attack with 3 wickets for 20 runs, dismissing Albertina Galan, Julia Andujar and Julieta Cullen. Shreya Voya claimed 2/10, including the crucial wicket of Maria Lehmann and a run-out of captain Maria Castiñeiras, while Snigdha Malhotra, Vritti Dahiya, and Harper Chalmers picked up one wicket apiece. Despite reducing Argentina to 42/7, the target proved too small to defend as the home side completed the chase and celebrated another series victory.
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