Left-arm spinner Varsha Rani produced a devastating spell and claimed a six-for before opener Manya Sharma scored a fluent unbeaten 26 to power Ludhiana to an eight-wicket win over Mansa on Thursday.
The teams were facing off in the third Group D league match of the Inter-District Senior Women’s One Day Limited Overs Cricket Tournament. The match was played at the GRD Academy ground on Hambran Road here.
The match turned into a one-sided affair after Varsha Rani ripped through the Mansa batting line-up, returning figures of six for 12 in seven overs, including three maidens. Her clinical spell triggered a collapse that saw Mansa bundled out for a modest 56 in 26.5 overs.
Mansa never recovered after losing opener Shabnam Gandhi with just a run on the board. Komalpreet Kaur fought a lone battle with a 46-ball 20. Harman Deep Kaur chipped in with 10 runs. No batter could offer any resistance to the disciplined Ludhiana attack.
Varsha found support in Chinmey Jain, who claimed two wickets for five runs. Moli Gosal and Samridhi Saini picked up a wicket apiece. Mansa lost their last seven batters for just 15 runs.
Chasing the modest target, Ludhiana displayed positive intent from the outset. Manya Sharma led the charge with a sparkling 26 off 22 balls, laced with three boundaries and a six, ensuring there were no hiccups in the chase. Avneet Kaur Sandhu contributed 11 before falling to Rani Kaur.
Ludhiana chased down the target in just 10.4 overs, with the final scorecard reading 59 for 2.
The fourth and last league match between Ludhiana and Barnala will be played at the latter’s home ground on June 13.
