Henrietta Pereira and skipper K Anjali Sarvani strung a 55-run partnership which helped Andhra score a four-wicket victory over a fighting Jammu & Kashmir in the BCCI Women’s One-day Trophy at Mangaldai Sports Association Stadium in Mangaldai on Wednesday.
Topping Group D, the team secured their spot by winning four out of their group stage matches against tough opponents including Mumbai, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, J&K, and Gujarat. Andhra will play their quarter-final match against Rajasthan at Chandigarh on February 23.
Batting first, Jammu & Kashmir were off to a poor start as they were reduced to 12 for two. Thereafter, they never really recovered to post a challenging score. Pacer Shabnam got the first breakthrough by having opener Sanjana (4) caught by Setu Sai. Anjali then sent back Bawandeep Kaur (2) who was caught by Harshitha.
Shambhavi Rajput tried to steady the rocking boat but fell after making 19 off 38 balls. Chitra Singh Jamwal (9) and Rudrakshi Chib (2) too did not last long as J&K were reduced to 53 for five.
Five runs later, J&K lost their sixth wicket when skipper Jasia Akhter (2) was trapped leg before by B Anusha. A run later Rubia Syed (1) was caught by Henrietta off E Padmaja to leave J&K in tatters at 59 for seven.
However, Shivani Gupta and Sandhya came to their side’s rescue and ensured that J&K crossed the 100-run mark. They were involved in a 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket. The runs came off 77 balls with Sandhya scoring 31 off 30 balls and Shivani Gupta making 29 off 47 balls.
However, both of them fell on the same score. Sandhya struck five fours in her 30, while Shivani hit 6 fours in her 74-ball 38. J&K were bowled out for 130.
B Anusha took three for 25, while E Padmaja bagged two for 27 and K Dhathri took two for 17.
In reply, Andhra lost Setu Sai V (0) with nothing on the board off the third ball of the innings. She was trapped leg before by Sandhya. P Ranga Lakshmi (14) too did not last long. E Padmaja (2) joined her back in the dressing room soon to leave Andhra at 31 for three.
No.3 bat V Pushapalatha and Henrietta then added 25 to the score before the former fell to Sandhya. She made 23 off 54 balls with four fours.
A Sireesha (1) to fell soon thereafter as Andhra were reduced to 63 for five but skipper Anjali Sarvani joined Henrietta and the duo calmed the nerves in the Andhra camp with a 55-run partnership which sealed the issue in Andhra’s favour.
Henrietta was caught by Bawandeep Kaur off Rubia Syed after making 43 off 70 balls with seven fours and Anjali remained not out on 33 off 45 balls with five fours and a six.
Andhra made 131 for six in 37.5 overs.
Under the successful captaincy of Anjali Sarvani, the team demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has played a pivotal role in nurturing and supporting the squad to reach this level, providing crucial backing throughout the campaign.This year marks a historic milestone for Andhra cricket, with teams across all age groups qualifying for the knockouts. A testament to the ACA’s consistent development efforts. The quarterfinal clash promises thrilling action as Andhra continues their strong run.
Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir 130 in 37 overs (Shambhavi Rajput 19, Shivanti Gupta 38, Sandhya 31; B Anusha 3/25, E Padmaja 2/27, K Dhathri 2/17) lost to Andhra 131 for six in 37.5 overs (V Pushpalatha 23, Henrietta Pereira 43, K Anjali Sarvani 33 not out; Sandhya 4/32).
