Prairies Notches National Women’s T20 CShips Second Day Double Victories!

The Prairies Women’s team were the big second-day winners as matches continued at the 2022 Canadian National T20 Championships being played at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario. The Prairies won both of their second-day matches, first dispatching Ontario Heat with a comfortable 64 runs victory before winning even more decisively by 10 wickets against British Columbia.

The Prairies’ double victories came as a result of successive centuries from their two opening batters. Canadian National Opener Divya Saxena’s brilliant 112 against Ontario Heat was followed soon after by Danielle McGahey’s equally aggressive 50 balls 114 versus British Columbia.

Fresh from having almost knocked over Ontario Heat, in their 2022 Canadian National T20 Championships opening day encounter, British Columbia’s ladies started Day 2 facing Ontario Fire as the more dominant of the two host Provinces sides. Achini Perera, who had already twice demonstrated her National player class on Day 1, was again among the runs this time stroking a forty-ball half-century (53) that included nine fours while opening the Fire’s batting. She was ably supported by Mishuneet Sagoo (41) and Vandana Mahajan (33) as the Fire compiled an imposing first strike 20 overs total of 178/8. For BC Manasa Challa (3/30-4) and Mannat Hundal (2/25-3) were the main wicket-takers.

Set a very challenging 179 to win in 20 overs, BC’s batters failed to even reach as far as their target’s halfway point, managing to get to only 87/7 before exhausting all of their available deliveries. Manasa Challa (37) and Canadian National team player Sonali Vig (25) were the main contributors, but the supported they would have required from the other batters was just not provided. Imram Khalid (2/5-3) was the Ontario Fire’s most successful bowler.

SUMMARIZED SCORES:
Ontario Fire 175/8-20 ovrs. Achini Perera 53, Mishuneet Saggo 41, Vandana Mahajan 33. Manasa Challa 3/30-4; Mannat Hundal 2/25-3.
British Columbia 87/7 -20 ovrs. Manasa Challa 37, Sonali Vig 25, Imram Khalid 2/5-3.
Ontario Fire won by 92 runs.

As British Columbia were finding themselves on the losing end of their Day 2 opener against Ontario Fire, there were no such issues for their Prairies counterparts who romped to an emphatic 64 runs win over the Ontario Heat. Taking first strike, Prairies openers Divya Saxon (112*) and Daniele McGahey posted a first wicket partnership of 77. McGahey’s dismissal for 47, was the only wicket lost as Amar Paul (40) then combined with Saxon to take Prairies score to 208/1 at the conclusion of the allocated 20 overs.

Set 209 for victory in 20 overs, Ontario Heat faltered from losing wickets at fairly regular intervals after an opening stand of 84 between Vijayani Vithanage (41) and Habeeba Bader (29) in the first twelve overs had placed them within striking distance. Vithanage’s dismissal, stumped by McGahey off the bowling of Harroop Kang, was very quickly followed by that of Bader’s, bowled by Arunimaa Kaur just five balls later. Once those two had departed the innings lost all of its momentum eventually ending at 144/4-20, some 64 runs short of the required victory target.

SUMMARIZED SCORES:
Prairies 208/1-20 ovrs. Divya Saxena 112, Danielle McGahey 47, Vijayani Vithanage 41.
Ontario Heat 144/4-20 ovrs. Vijayani Vithanage 41, Habeeba Bader 29.
Prairies won by 64 runs.

The Prairies continued their winning vein with an even more empathic 10 wickets win over British Columbia in their second match of the Day 2 fixtures. Batting first British Columbia may have been somewhat pleased by their posted twenty-overs total of 158/7, the foundation for which was laid by a 93 runs second-wicket partnership between opener Kate Gray (63) and Somali Vig (46) batting at three. There were, however, no other scores of note as the Prairies opening-batting all-rounders Danielle McGahey 3/12-3 and Divya Saxena 2/37-4 also demonstrated their outstanding bowling skills in capturing five of the seven wickets that fell.

The McGahey-Saxena combination then brought its batting prowess to the fore with an unbeaten partnership of 161 that took the Prairies past the required 159 run victory target after only 12.1 overs of batting. McGahey’s contribution to the score was 50 balls 114 that included 6 mammoth sixes and 16 whopping fours. At the other end Saxon was far more sedate with her 41, made off 24 balls with 8 fours included.

SUMMARIZED SCORES:
British Columbia 158/7-20 ovrs. Kate Gray 63, Somali Vig 46. Danielle McGahey 3/12-3, Divya Saxena 2/37-4.
Prairies 161.0-12.1 ovrs. Danielle McGahey 114, Divya Saxena 41.
Prairies won by 10 wickets.

Fresh from its opening day double victories, Ontario Heat continued its Championship dominance with a most comfortable 90 runs win over Atlantic Canada in its sole Day 2 encounter. Ontario Heat’s modestly posted 144/5-20 overs proved more than sufficient for the Atlantic Canada batters, who folded to be all out for 54 after just 15.5 overs.

Rabbyot Rajput (20) was the top-scorer in Ontario Heat’s innings, with Saniyah Zia being left undefeated on 19. Bowling for Atlantic Canada Rey Blais had the best figures of 2/28-4 ovrs.

Blais was also among the runs when Atlantic Canada batted. Her 27 balls 22 was the only double-figures score. For Ontario Heat, Ishmeet Sagoo 3/9-4 was the main destroyer, well supported as she was by Saniyah Zia’s 2/2-1.

SUMMARIZED SCORES:
Ontario Heat 144/5-20 ovrs. Rabbjyot Rajput 20, Saniyah Zia 19*. Rey Blais 2/28-4.
Atlantic Canada 54/10-15.5 ovrs. Rey Blais 22. Ishmeet Sagoo 3/9-4, Saniyah Zia 2/2-1.
Ontario Heat won by 90 runs.

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