After Smriti Mandhana made headlines with fastest fifty in T20 cricket, teammate Harmanpreet Kaur made an impressive debut in the Super League 2018. Chasing a stiff target of 149, Lancashire Thunder opener Nicole Bolton got them off to a good start and held on to one end. Kaur came to bat in the 12th over after two quick wickets and tried to stitch a steady partnership with Bolton.
The two shared a crucial partnership of 68 runs for the third wicket but Surrey Stars skipper Natalie Sciver brought her team back into the game in the penultimate over. She took Bolton’s wicket who scored 87 runs from 61 balls. Her wicket was followed by two ducks, adding pressure on Kaur to chase down the total.
India’s T20I skipper took the matter in her own hands as Lancashire needed 11 runs to win off the last over. She took a single off the first ball of the over.
Next ball, she wanted to strike hard but in the process, Eleanor Threlkeld got run out. She tried to get under the ball but Laura Marsh did not give her the ideal length. She could pick up just 2 runs off that delivery.
With 8 runs needed off just 3 balls, the pressure was mounting on Kaur. The 29-year-old got a boundary off the fourth ball. Marsh came round the wicket to bowl back of the length delivery but Kaur came down the wicket and struck the ball over deep mid-wicket for a maximum, finishing the match in style.
WHAT A WAY TO WIN!
Indian star @ImHarmanpreet smashes a huge six to win it on her @LancsCricketWMN debut pic.twitter.com/dC4ciEZrw7
— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) July 31, 2018
ALSO READ: Netherlands vs Nepal: Nepal Ready For Its First-Ever ODI Today; Twitterati Excited
She scored 34 runs from 21 balls including 3 fours and 1 six. On the other hand, Mandhana remained unbeaten at 43 taking Western Storm to victory and to the top of the table. With this match, the Indian opener has scored 180 runs in four innings.
