Senior women cricket team in one-day knockouts

VADODARA: Having defeated three teams in the senior women's one-day tournament (plate league), Baroda team has reached the knock-out stage. It is for the first time that the team has reached the knock-outs in the prestigious national tournament. The Baroda girls are now aiming to make a history by winning the tournament.
An all-round performance from the players helped the team, captained by Binaisha Surti, post three successive wins.Palak Patel scored 121 runs from four games while Tarannum Pathan scored 70. Baroda's formidable medium pacer Nancy Patel bagged 11 wickets while Radha Yadav got nine scalps. Baroda didn't have a great start to the tournament as it lost to Kerala in its first game.
"The team had won 10 games before it went into this tournament. So they got a bit overconfident in the first match. But we bounced back pretty well," said team coach Rituparna Roy.
Baroda beat Rajasthan in its second game and then went on to defeat Vidarbha. Kerala gave a tough total of 107 to chase in the fourth game but Baroda chased it in the last over to qualify for the quarter-finals.
"The players are talented. All they needed was a bit of discipline and better practice. The team is now playing as a unit and getting matured. We hope to reach the finals and also qualify for the elite league," Roy said.
She added that she is hopeful of Nancy Patel making it to the India team that has a spot vacant for a pacer. Women's Cricket Wing chairperson, Tejal Amin said that it was a great achievement for the team that will scale more heights.
"The practice matches we played, helped a lot. I hope I can keep performing like this and wish to play for India one day," Nancy said.