Quickfire knocks by Reema Malhotra and Nisha Sharma helped Assam drub Odisha by six wickets on the penultimate day of the senior women’s inter-zonal T20 cricket tournament at Keenan Stadium on Tuesday.

Opener Nisha hammered 30 (39 balls, 2x4) and Reema came up with a confident unbeaten 33 (35 balls, 3x4) to guide their team to victory with two overs to spare. Though Assam lost opener Rajni Banet early, Nisha and Reema batted with gumption to share a vital 30-run stand while chasing a target of 98 asked by Odisha. Assam needed just 28 runs when Nisha was dismissed. Reema and Lalita Sharma (8) completed the formalities without being separated.

Odisha’s innings revolved around a fine 40 by opener Madhuri Meheta. The right-handed runs came off 52 deliveries and contained three hits to the fence. However, barring Madhuri, other batters failed to come up with substantial contributions. Though Madhusmita Kumari and Pragyan Mahanty tried hard to help their team cross the three figure mark, tidy bowling by Assam restricted them to a paltry total at the end.

Both Madhusmita and Pragyan scored 16 runs each. Besides shining with the willow, Reema also performed well with the ball, claiming 3/22 in her four overs. Lalita complimented her by bagging 3/25.

Picture by Bhola Prasad