PCA Women Triumph in Nail-Biting Final Against Himachal Pradesh
The Punjab Cricket Association women seniors team captured the championship title at the 6th Rama Atray Memorial Women Seniors Cricket Tournament. They achieved this feat with a tense seven-run victory over Himachal Pradesh in the final match. The exciting contest unfolded at the new PCA Stadium in Mullanpur on Monday.
Punjab Sets Competitive Target
Punjab batted first after winning the toss. Their innings concluded at 203 runs all out in exactly 50 overs. Pragati Singh led the scoring with a solid 61 runs. She received valuable support from Avreet Sandhu who made 34, Srishti Rajput with 28, Neetu Singh contributing 21, and Priyanka Mutreja adding 20 runs to the total.
The Himachal bowling attack performed well to restrict Punjab. Sonal Thakur emerged as the most successful bowler, capturing four important wickets. Jyoti Thakur supported her with two wickets. Neena Chaudhary, Nikita M Chauhan, and Nikita S Chauhan each claimed one wicket for their team.
Himachal's Brave Chase Falls Short
Chasing a target of 204 runs for victory, Himachal Pradesh fought hard but ultimately fell just short. They were bowled out for 196 runs in 44.1 overs. Sonal Thakur played a magnificent unbeaten innings of 62 runs. Nikita S Chauhan scored 47 valuable runs while former India wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma added 46 runs to the total. Kashish Verma contributed 14 runs to the chase.
The Punjab bowlers held their nerve in the crucial moments. Priyanka Mutreja delivered an outstanding performance with four wickets. Komalpreet Kaur supported her effort with two wickets. Priya Kumari, Pragati Singh, and Mannat Kashyap each took one wicket to complete the victory.
Prize Distribution and Tournament Vision
Former Punjab DGP Chander Shekhar (IPS) presided over the prize distribution ceremony. The victorious Punjab team received a cash award of Rs 75,000 along with the prestigious winners' trophy. Himachal Pradesh earned Rs 50,000 and the runners-up trophy for their impressive performance.
Former IAS officer Vivek Atray emphasized the tournament's broader purpose. He stated that the competition aims to actively promote women's cricket across the region. The event specifically focuses on creating meaningful opportunities for emerging players to showcase their talent.
Individual Honors and Recognition
Several players received special awards for their exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Mannat Kashyap from Punjab earned the best bowler award. Kashish Verma from Himachal Pradesh claimed the best batter honor.
Sushma Verma received dual recognition as the best all-rounder and player of the tournament. Punjab's Priyanka Mutreja earned the player of the final award for her match-winning bowling performance.
