The inaugural edition of the ‘Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Women’s T20 Cricket Tournament,’ organized by the Cricket Association of Lucknow (CAL), has reached its business end. The semifinal fixtures are scheduled to be played on May 25, 2023, at GCRG Ground near Chandrika Devi Mandir, Sitapur Road.
The 8 participating teams were grouped into two divisions and competed in three matches each within their respective groups during the league stage, from the 19th to the 24th of May, 2023. CAL Blue and Kanpur, unbeaten in Group A and B respectively, advance to the playoffs alongside Varanasi and Agra, both of whom have lost a game each.
Semi-Final 1: Agra vs CAL Blue
For the 1st Semi-Final on 25th May 2023, Lucknow Blue and Agra are set to lock horns on May 25, 2023, at 8:00 AM IST.
In their season opener, CAL Blue defended their total of 151 by bowling Gorakhpur out for just 30 runs. Led by Komal Hora, CAL Blue registered successive 10-wicket wins against Meerut, chasing down 105 runs with 11 balls to spare, and Varanasi, chasing down 44 runs in only 5.1 overs. They remained unbeaten and have now secured a hat-trick of wins in the tournament.
In their season opener, Agra scored 185 runs and restricted Deoria to 78 runs, securing a commanding 107-run victory. Although they fell short by 27 runs in their chase of 132 against Kanpur, Tanu-led Agra bounced back strongly with a convincing 52-run win against CAL Red, successfully defending their total of 122 to stay alive in the competition.
Semi-Final 2: Varanasi vs Kanpur
Varanasi and Kanpur are slated to face off in the 2nd Semi-Final that’ll be played on the 25th of May, 2023 at 12:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
In the season opener, Varanasi restricted Meerut to 125 runs but could only tie the score, eventually winning the game in the super-over by 8 runs. Priyanka Chaurasiya-led, Varanasi continued their winning streak against Gorakhpur, chasing down 93 runs with 8 wickets and 3 overs to spare. However, they suffered a defeat in their final league game against CAL Blue, who chased down the required 44 runs without losing any wickets.
Kanpur kicked off their season with a commanding victory, scoring 162 runs and winning by a margin of 79 runs against CAL Red. They carried their winning momentum forward, defeating Agra by 27 runs while restricting their total to 132. Ekta Singh-led, Kanpur sealed their hat-trick of wins by successfully defending a total of 143 runs against Deoria, winning by a margin of 64 runs.
RedBull, one of the leading brands has extended its support to this tournament becoming the official Energy Drink Partner. RedBull is well known for its participation and involvement with sports events, particularly in action sports. This collaboration goes on to show RedBull’s commitment to empowering women’s cricket at the grassroots level.
It’s the battle of the best 4 and an exciting day of cricket awaits at the GCRG Ground. Don’t miss out on the action, including the Final on May 26, 2023, available for live streaming on Female Cricket’s YouTube channel.