The Skills 2 Shine U-18 Women’s Cricket T20 Championship concluded with Finale on Sunday, in which Western Warriors have defeated Northern Renegades by eight wickets to clinch the inaugural title at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. The tournament was part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s efforts to groom grass-root players ahead of the 2021 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and promote the sport among young girls.
The tournament included four teams, which were finalized by the national women’s selection committee after trials all over the country. A total of seven matches, including the final, were played with the group matches staged at the Bagh-e-Jinnah Ground.
In the final on Sunday, Northern Renegades, after electing to bat, made 86 for 6 in 20 overs. Openers Shawal Zulfliqar scored 28 and Humna Bilal contributed with 15 runs not out. Western Warriors chased down the 87-run target in 14.4 overs as their captain Ayesha Naseem contributed with bat 34 from 17 balls- unbeaten, while openers were also on top where Saima Malik scored 26 not out from 48 balls. Northern Renegades’ right-arm medium Misbah Gul and slow left-arm Anoosha Nasir picked up three and two wickets respectively. The wicket-keeper of the warrior’s side, Nazish Rafique played an important role in leading the team towards the victory. For their match-winning performances, Nazish and Ayesha shared the player of the final award.
Scores in brief:
Northern Renegades 86-6, 20 overs (Shawal Zulfiqar 28, Humna Bilal 15 not out; Nazish Rafique 3-13) VS Western Warriors 90-2, 14.4 overs (Ayesha Naseem 34 not out, Saima Malik 26 not out)
Result: Western Warriors won the final by eight wickets.
Source: dailytimes.com.pk
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