LUCKNOW, Oct. 17 -- A sparkling half-century by opener Riya Bhati and some fine performance by bowlers helped former champions Uttar Pradesh beat Andhra by six runs in a tense Women's U19 T20 Trophy Elite Group B clash, at Mumbai's MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy on Friday. This six-run victory was more than just another group-stage win as it confirmed Uttar Pradesh's progression to the knockout stage. By topping Elite Group B with 16 points, Uttar Pradesh ensured they enter the next phase with momentum and a strong all-round record. Riya Bhati's composed 62 and a disciplined bowling effort proved decisive. Bhati was the backbone of Uttar Pradesh's 141/7, striking 62 from 58 balls at a strike rate of 107. Her innings contained 10 boundaries, and she batted through the most difficult phases after early wickets had put pressure on the side. After Vanshika S Saini fell for nine and Shubh Choudhary for 11, Meerut's Bhati held the innings together. She added stability during Saanvi Bhatia's seven and then found valuable support from Bharati Singh, whose rapid 25 from 15 balls, including four sixes, lifted the total in the final overs. Bhati was eventually dismissed for 114/4 4 in the 17th over, caught by wicketkeeper D Katragadda off Shristi Sekhar. Yet her 62 had already given Uttar Pradesh a platform, and late contributions from Shubhangi Yagnik and Priyanshi Yadav helped push the score to a competitive 141. Defending a modest total, Uttar Pradesh's bowlers delivered an outstanding collective performance. Siddhi Mishra was exceptional, taking 2/14 in four overs with a maiden, while Bharati Singh claimed 2/13 at an economy of just 3.25. Jyoti Baliyan chipped in with 1/19, and Katyayani Pathak and Arisha Mustafa took a wicket apiece. Their discipline ensured Andhra could never fully control the chase despite several aggressive partnerships. Andhra lost Deeksha Katragadda for a first-ball duck, and although V Sethu Sai and Pushpitha Gowda counterattacked, regular breakthroughs kept Uttar Pradesh ahead. At 56/6 in the 11th over, Andhra's chase appeared to be slipping away. Vidya Sree's 45 from 32 balls and Dhana Sri Raj's 35 from 24 gave Andhra genuine hope. Their partnership dragged Andhra to 135 for 7, but the required rate had climbed too high by the final overs. Vidya Sree was dismissed on the final ball of the innings, caught by Vanshika Saini off Arisha Mustafa, ending Andhra's resistance six runs short. Former champions Uttar Pradesh on Friday failed to qualify for the knockout of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy as they lost to Punjab by seven wickets in their last Elite Group B encounter, at the CAP Ground 4, Puducherry. Last season too, Uttar Pradesh had a third place finish in the league stage. Punjab with 20 points and Chhttisgarh with 16 points qualified for the knockout. On Friday, Uttar Pradesh chose to bat but never built a commanding total, finishing on 204/9 in 47.1 overs. Bhavi Sharma top-scored with a composed 72 off 78 balls, striking three fours and four sixes, while Yash Vyas added 32. However, Punjab's bowlers kept applying pressure as Sahibjotveer Singh was the most economical with 2/34 , while Ishan Sood, Lakshay Kansal and Rajvir Jaswal took two wickets apiece. Punjab's chase began shakily as Shashank Yadav removed Pranshu Pratap and Sagar Virk cheaply, leaving the side at 33/2. But, Rishabh Gupta and captain Arjun Rajput then took control with a decisive 135-run partnership. Gupta made 82 from 91 deliveries, while Rajput accelerated with 74 off 59 balls, including nine fours and four sixes....