Lucknow: After rain disrupted six matches over two-and-a-half days, clear weather brought the excitement back to the Lucknow Women’s Premier League on Sunday, with the Lucknow Shernies booking their place in the final.
In the semi-final at the SAGE Ground, the Shernies defeated Lucknow Nawabi Queen by six wickets. The final will be played on Monday. Aayushi Srivastava was named Player of the Match for her composed knock.
The match was reduced to 18 overs per side due to the weather. After winning the toss, the Shernies opted to bowl first and restricted Nawabi Queen to 89 for eight in 18 overs. They then chased down the target, reaching 90 for four in 15.1 overs.
Nawabi Queen struggled early, losing Shashi Balan for four and Sana Khan for 10. Opener Priyanshi Pandey held one end together with a 45-ball 33, including a four and a six, while Anvesha Chatterjee contributed 16.
For the Shernies, Anshu Tiwari and Sandhya Kshetri claimed two wickets each, while Aksha Khan, Katyayani Pathak and Disha Singh took one apiece.
The Shernies also lost two early wickets, with Anshu Tiwari and Vagisha Singh dismissed for two and six respectively. Aayushi Srivastava and Saanvi Bhatia then steadied the innings with a 43-run partnership. Aayushi scored 33 from 38 balls, while Saanvi made 21 from 19 balls. Katyayani Pathak and Ishita Verma completed the chase unbeaten.
SAGE Falcons Join Shernies in Final
In the other semi-final, SAGE Falcons defeated REPL Challengers by 13 runs to secure their place in Monday’s final against the Lucknow Shernies.
Batting first, SAGE Falcons posted 104 for six in 20 overs. After losing two wickets for just two runs, Arzoo Singh and captain Sonali Singh rebuilt the innings. Arzoo top-scored with 42 from 53 balls, while Sonali added 32 and Archana Devi contributed 11.
REPL Challengers’ Priyanshi Yadav took three wickets for 27 runs, while Payal Chaurasia claimed two.
Chasing 105, REPL Challengers managed 91 for seven in 20 overs. Nidhi Singh was the standout bowler for SAGE Falcons, taking four wickets for 11 runs. Sampada top-scored for the Challengers with 23, while opener Vidushi made 16 and Priyanshi scored eight.
The result sets up a final between SAGE Falcons and Lucknow Shernies on Monday.
