SKIPPER Disha Kasat led from the front carrying her bat through scoring an unbeaten hundred as Vidarbha stunned table-toppers Karnataka in a thrilling match by just four runs to enter maiden quarter-finals in Women’s Senior One-Day Trophy on Sunday. Vidarbha, electing to bat first at VB Nest Ground in Chennai, scored a modest 216-5 in 50 overs thanks to Kasat’s knock and then the bowlers held their nerves in the final overs to restrict Karnataka to 212-9 recording a close four-run win.

 

 

 

Vice-captain Kasat was leading the side in crucial encounter as regular skipper Komal Zanzad had injured her fingers in the previous match going for a catch off her own bowling. Vidarbha openers Kasat (126*; 149b, 15x4, 2x4), who roared to form at the right time, and Snehal Maniyar (16; 41b, 3x4) gave Vidarbha a slow but steady start adding 40 runs in 13 overs. After Maniyar’s fall, Aayushi Thakre was run out for four. In-form Bharati Fulmali (41; 64b, 4x4, 1x6). For almost 22 overs, the duo batted together. They stitched an important 90-run partnership for the third wicket. Fulmali departed the scorecard read 144 runs in 41.3 overs. Kasat cut loose and soon completed her century. She dominated her partnerships with Nupur Kohale (6) that yielded 38 runs. In the last 8.3 overs, Vidarbha added quick 72 runs with Reena Paul hitting two fours for her eight-ball ten before being dismissed on last ball of the innings. For Karnataka, Chandu V picked two wickets while the pair of Akanksha Kohli and Rameshwari chipped in with one each. Vidarbha new ball bowler Gargi Wankar (10-2-20-2), who ended being the most economical bowler of the match, gave the team first breakthrough. She had Vanitha VR caught by Vaishnavi Khandkar for 8 at the team score of 22 in the seventh over.

 

 

 

The other opener S Shubha (85; 120b, 8x4) and G Divya (57; 81b, 6x4, 1x6) did the repair job and scored at a decent pace. At one stage, Karnataka were well placed at 112-1 in 27.5 overs. But, hero with the bat, Kasat (2-44) accounted for the latter having her caught at the wicket by stumper Shweta Naidu. From there on Karnataka players, barring Shubha, who was 8th out at 195 in 47.3 overs, none could stay long. As many as seven players including India player Veda Krishnamurthy (9) were limited to just single digit scores by Vidarbha bowlers who kept a tidy line and length. Kohale (3-34) was once again the top bowler for Vidarbha claiming three wickets including that of Krishnamurthy. With 15 wickets from five games, spinner Kohale jumped to second spot in the list of most wickets in the tournament. This is for the second time in two years that Vidarbha have qualified for a knock-out stage of limited overs meet. In 2019, Vidarbha lost to Railways in the semi-finals of Twenty20 national tourney.