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It was the highest-ever successful chase in women’s List A cricket, bettering the previous record of 309 held by Northern Districts against Canterbury in 2019.
Bengal beat Haryana by 5 wickets
Indian batter Shafali Verma smashed a scintillating 115-ball 197 for Haryana in the quarter-final of the senior women’s One-Day Trophy against Bengal in Rajkot. Her knock was studded with 22 fours and 11 sixes as her team posted 389 for 5 in fifty overs. However, her efforts went in vain as opponents Bengal registered a record chase of 390 and defeated Haryana by 5 wickets with 5 balls to spare.
It was the highest-ever successful chase in women’s List A cricket, bettering the previous record of 309 held by Northern Districts against Canterbury in 2019.
Bengal’s batting line-up delivered a collective masterclass with almost every player contributing to the team’s success. The foundation was laid by openers Dhara Gujjar and Sasthi Mondal, who forged a blazing 100-run partnership in just 9.1 overs. Gujjar smashed 69 off 49 balls, while Mondal added an aggressive 52 off 29, setting the stage for a commanding total.
Tanusree Sarkar then struck 113 off 83 balls, anchoring the innings with precision and power. After Sarkar was dismissed, Priyanka Bala ensured the momentum never faltered, crafting an unbeaten 88 off 81 deliveries to guide Bengal to a comfortable finish. Sarkar’s all-round brilliance also shone with the ball, as she claimed 3 for 56 in a stellar performance.
Meanwhile, Shafali Verma continued her red-hot form in the ongoing tournament. The dynamic opener smashed her second century of the competition, underlining her dominance with the bat. Having begun the tournament with a breathtaking 98-ball 139 against Uttar Pradesh, Shafali has amassed 527 runs in just seven innings.
The highest domestic one-day score before Bengal’s brilliance was 356/4 by Railways against Chandigarh in 2021.
“It was an unbelievable victory,” Bengal head coach Probal Dutta was quoted as saying in a Cricket Association of Bengal press release.
“Yesterday, during the pre-match meeting, I told the girls that the pitch would be batting-friendly and no one should panic at any point. Today, during the innings break, I told the batters, have faith and belief in yourselves and we can do it,” he added.
Bengal mentor and pace legend Jhulan Goswami said, “It is a fantastic win. To have the mindset of chasing down this massive target is brilliant. The girls believed in themselves and the win was truly special.”
