In an exhilarating 12th match of Group B at the Women’s Continental Cup in Ilfov County, Isle of Man Women delivered a dominant display, securing a 27-run victory over Norway Women. The match showcased sensational individual brilliance, disciplined bowling, and high-octane T20 action that kept fans engaged from start to finish.
Opting to bat first, Isle of Man Women opened their innings with skipper Lucy Barnett and Clare Crowe taking the crease. The duo set out to lay a solid foundation, but Norway struck early when Alina Aslam (1/19 in 2 overs) bowled Crowe for just 1 run, breaking the opening stand at 22/1 in 2.2 overs. Rachel Overman joined Barnett to build the second-wicket partnership, adding 40 runs before falling for 3 off 11 balls, caught by Mirab Razwan off Ramya Immadi’s bowling (1/12 in 2 overs) to leave the score at 62/2 in 6.4 overs.
Norway’s captain Mirab Razwan then turned the game on its head with a double strike, clean-bowling Georgina Ford for a 4-ball duck (63/3, 7.4 overs) and dismissing Libby Moore for 6 off 10 balls (71/4, 9.4 overs). Razwan finished as Norway’s standout bowler with brilliant figures of 2/22 in 4 overs. Prachi Kumari joined the wicket-takers by stumping Chloe Dillon (5 off 9) via keeper Bijeyata Kumari at 96/5 in 12.6 overs, before a mix-up resulted in Maisie Skillan being run out by Shangeerthana Raveendrakumar for 0 at 98/6 in 13.1 overs. Kumari ended with 1/30 in 4 overs, while Vidya Viyala (0/31 in 3), Lopamudra (0/28 in 3), and Anushka Gorad (0/19 in 2) chipped in.
Throughout the tumbling wickets, captain Lucy Barnett stood like a rock, putting on an unyielding, unbeaten seventh-wicket stand with Joanne Hicks (9* off 20 balls). Barnett unleashed a phenomenal counter-attack, smashing 123* off just 64 balls, packed with 16 fours and 4 sixes at a blistering strike rate of 192.18, lifting Isle of Man Women to a formidable 161/6 in their 20 overs (including 14 extras).
Chasing 162 for victory, Norway Women’s top-order combination of Anushka Gorad and Bijeyata Kumari aimed for a steady start. However, Isle of Man skipper Lucy Barnett carried her batting momentum into her opening spell, breaking the opening 7-run stand by dismissing keeper-batter Kumari for 4 off 11 balls (caught by Hicks) at 2.3 overs.
Gorad was then joined by Shangeerthana Raveendrakumar, and the pair mounted a resilient second-wicket partnership, adding 58 runs to rebuild the chase. The partnership ended when Joanne Hicks (1/32 in 4 overs) had Raveendrakumar caught by Grace Cottier for a well-made 24 off 29 balls (2 fours) at 65/2 in 10.3 overs. Barnett then struck in the field, running out Gorad for 16 off 27 balls at 75/3 in 11.2 overs.
Ramya Immadi tried to accelerate with a brisk 19 off 16 balls (2 fours), pairing up with Ayesha Hasan (11 off 8 balls). However, Izzy Clarke triggered a decisive middle-order collapse with a stellar spell. Clarke bowled Hasan at 103/4 (14.1 overs) and had Nayab Razwan (1) caught by Hicks just four balls later at 105/5 (14.5 overs). Grace Cottier (1/29 in 4 overs) then clean-bowled Immadi at 109/6 in 15.5 overs, before Clarke returned to dismiss Lopamudra for a duck, caught at 112/7 in 16.3 overs.
Clarke finished with match-winning figures of 3/9 in 3 overs, supported by Barnett’s ultra-frugal 1/11 in 4 overs, Georgina Ford’s 0/11 in 2 overs, and Amelia Griffiths’ 0/28 in 3 overs. Unbeaten batters Vidya Viyala (12* off 15) and skipper Mirab Razwan (6* off 9) saw out the remaining overs alongside a hefty contribution of 41 extras, but Norway Women were ultimately restricted to 134/7 in 20 overs, handing Isle of Man Women a convincing 27-run triumph.
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