POTCHEFSTROOM: India crowned the inaugural edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World after they sealed a convincing seven-wicket win against England in the final on Sunday. 

India wreaked havoc on England’s batting line as their bowlers bundled out the opponents for a paltry 68-run total before chasing down the target comfortably in 14 overs.

A clinical bowling effort with two wickets each to Titas Sadhu, Archana Devi and Parshavi Chopra put India on top after they elected to field first.

In reply, middle-order batters Soumya Tiwari and Gongadi Trisha made 24 runs each to help India take a comfortable win in the end following the early dismissal of the dependable opening pair of skipper Shefali Verma and Shweta Sehrawat. 

Sehrawat, who remained the leading run-scorer of the tournament with her exuberant 297 runs coming at a ridiculously-high average of 99, fell cheaply this time off Hannah Baker in the fourth over after making just 5 from 6 balls. 

England found their first breakthrough in the third over when skipper Verma in her bid to finish the proceeding early handed a chance at mid-on which was excellently grabbed by Alexa Stonehouse off Grace Scrivens’ bowling. Verma smashed a couple of boundaries during her brief yet energetic knock of 11-ball 15.

Tiwari and Trisha then led the chase and stitched a solid 46-run partnership before Stonehouse dismissed the latter with only two runs left to defend.

Earlier, India suppressed England’s batting lineup with intermittent jolts that put English batters under constant pressure. With an early wicket of opener Liberty Heap in the very first over, India unleashed an all-out attack which effectively denied any breathing space to opponents batters.

With a 24-ball 19, Ryana MacDonald-Gay top-scored for her side amid a deplorable batting performance from the rest, only three of whom were able to reach double digits.

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