Mumbai, June 2 (IANS) India star Sayali Satghare led SOBO Mumbai Falcons from the front with a decisive three-wicket spell as her side began their campaign with a convincing 16-run victory over Thane Sky Risers in the tournament’s opening match of the inaugural T20 Mumbai Women’s League here at the Wankhede Stadium.

Chasing a challenging 174, opener Mansi Patil (46) kept the chase alive for Thane Sky Risers despite losing partners at regular intervals. Mahek Pokar (23 retired hurt) and Saima Thakor (29) made promising starts but failed to build on them as the Falcons attack, marshalled brilliantly by Satghare, kept the pressure firmly on the opposition.

In the closing stages, wicketkeeper Khushi Bhatia produced a spirited 28 off just 16 balls, striking the ball cleanly to keep Thane’s hopes alive. However, her dismissal in the penultimate over all but extinguished the Sky Risers’ chances and tilted the match decisively in the Falcons’ favour.

Earlier, Thane Sky Risers failed to capitalise on a dream start from skipper Saima Thakor, who created history by striking off the very first ball of the tournament and then claimed another wicket in the same over. Coupled with nine dropped catches, the lapses allowed SOBO Mumbai Falcons to recover through a late onslaught from Hurley Gala (45 not out), supported by important knocks from Riya Chaudhari (43), Simran Shaikh (30) and Sarika Koli (26), as they posted a competitive 173/6 in 20 overs.

The opening day of the men’s tournament, on Monday, witnessed a nail-biting thriller between Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburb and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals, with the Siddhesh Lad-led Royals having the last laugh after the contest was decided in a Super Over.

After both teams finished on an identical 165 at the end of their respective 20 overs, the match went into a Super Over, where the defending champions Royals posted 16/1 before restricting the Sarfaraz Khan-led Tigers to 11/1 to seal a hard-fought victory.

The tournament will feature 30 blockbuster matches as the city’s best talent battles for T20 supremacy at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, with the final scheduled to be held on June 13.

Brief Scores: SOBO Mumbai Falcons 173/6 (Hurley Gala 45 not out, Riya Chaudhari 43, Simran Shaikh 30; Soumya Singh 3-17) beat Thane Sky Risers 157/8 (Mansi Patil 46, Saima Thakor 29, Khushi Bhatia 28; Sayali Satghare 3-35) by 16 runs.

–IANS

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