India records highest Women’s T20 Asia Cup total in win over UAE

Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh put India in a strong position with a stand of 75 off 45 balls

Kavisha Egodage shone for UAE with both bat and ball (40* and 2/36)   

Half-centuries by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh saw India racing away to the highest total in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup – 201-5 and beat UAE by 78 runs to have a foot in the semi-finals in the first double header played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Harmanpreet top scored with 66 off 47 balls (7 fours, 1 six), but it was Gosh’s sensational acceleration – hitting an unbeaten 64 off 29 balls (12 fours, 1 six) her maiden T20I 50 that saw India to the highest total. At 156-2 in 17 overs, 200 seemed a long way off but 17 runs in the penultimate over and Gosh’s five back-to-back boundaries off Heena Hotchandani’s left-arm spin in a 20-run final over saw them get to it.       

The bowlers then came into their own and UAE had no chance. Chasing 202 was never going to be easy and UAE could only muster 123-7 in their 20 overs, which was more than the 115-8 they managed against a lower-ranked Nepal.

Captain Esha Oza showed her class but there was little support from the other end even though Kavisha Egodage gave a good account of herself. Esha hit 38 off 36 balls and Kavisha 40* off 32. India used five bowlers and each of them chipped in with at least a wicket.

Scores:

 India Women 201-5 (20) (Shafali Verma 37, Harmanpreet Kaur 66, Richa Ghosh 64*, Kavisha Egodage 2/36)

UAE Women 123-7 (20) (Esha Oza 38, Kavisha Egodage 40*, Deepthi Sharma 2/23)