Two grounds, eight teams and a run of finishes that had Lucknow’s cricket fans leaning forward.
Lucknow: When the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy rolled into Lucknow on 26 October, Ekana Stadium did something unusual: it turned into two venues at once. With the main ground and the B Ground both in use, Elite Group C’s eight sides (Railways, Tripura, Vidarbha, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Sikkim and Kerala) have been playing back-to-back games from morning onward.
Day one: low scores, tight chases
The opening day made it clear this would not be a procession of 180s. Tripura were dismissed for 98, and Railways needed nearly the full 20 overs to chase it, finishing on 99/8 for a two-wicket win. Kerala were far more relaxed against Sikkim, wrapping up a six-wicket win in just 13.3 overs. Vidarbha eased past Gujarat’s modest 101/6 with eight wickets in hand, while Tamil Nadu, reportedly on a total in the region of 167, made a strong early statement against Punjab.
Hemalatha’s half-century, Dhariwal’s calm
On 27 October, Dayalan Hemalatha’s 58 powered Tamil Nadu to 155/8, and they defended it by 32 runs against Tripura to earn her Player of the Match. Two days later, Arshia Dhariwal answered with an unbeaten 74 as Gujarat chased down Tripura’s 144 with eight wickets and an over to spare.
The one-run heartbreak
The match of the week so far came on 29 October, when Punjab edged Kerala by a single run. Punjab posted roughly 132, and Kerala finished one short on 131/5. Elsewhere that day, Tamil Nadu needed only 10.2 overs to dispose of Sikkim’s 83, and Railways held off Vidarbha by 8 runs for their third straight win.
Who’s looking good?
Railways and Tamil Nadu have been the most consistent so far, each stacking up multiple wins. The surfaces have leaned toward batters, but this week’s lesson is that chasing is never as simple as it looks.
What’s next at Ekana
- 31 Oct: Railways vs Gujarat, Sikkim vs Punjab, Kerala vs Tamil Nadu, Vidarbha vs Tripura
- 2 Nov: Vidarbha vs Tamil Nadu, Kerala vs Tripura, Sikkim vs Railways, Gujarat vs Punjab
- 4 Nov: Kerala vs Gujarat, Railways vs Tamil Nadu, Sikkim vs Vidarbha, Punjab vs Tripura
- 6 Nov: Sikkim vs Tripura, Kerala vs Vidarbha, Railways vs Punjab, Tamil Nadu vs Gujarat
The Railways vs Tamil Nadu clash on 4 November could be the one to circle if both stay unbeaten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RtToJsBhYBatUrym&v=mOuYNSdhjHA&feature=youtu.be
