UP Warriorz secured their second consecutive victory with a commanding six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants, who, in turn, have suffered their third consecutive defeat this season. If not for another Grace Harris and Deepthi Sharma partnership we might have got a different outcome to this game.
Alyssa Healy confidently chose to chase after winning the toss, taking into account the season’s trend favoring teams batting second. Sophie Ecclestone’s impressive three-wicket haul helped limit the Giants to 142/5 in their 20 overs. In pursuit of what seemed a manageable target, the Warriorz got off to a swift start, propelled by Healy, before Grace Harris exploded with a 60* off 33 balls, guiding her team to victory with 4.2 overs remaining.
Changes from the previous game
Both teams made a couple of changes to their side. The Warriorz handed a debut to Sri Lankan star Chamari Athapaththu replacing Tahlia Mcgrath who was struggling in the first two matches while Saima Thakor came in for injured Vrinda Dinesh. Meanwhile, The Gujarat Giants brought in South African Skipper Laura Wolvaardt in place New Zealand Pacer Lea Tahuhu and veteran Veda Krishnamurthy made way for Left-arm spinner Mannat Kashyap.
Chopping and Changing- Gujarat Giants batting looks a mess
After being put into bat, the Giants paired Skipper Beth Mooney with Laura Wolvaardt. This was 3rd opening pair in as many games for the Gujarat Giants. However, the Giants began positively with Laura Wolvaardt leading the charge. She hit five boundaries in the initial four overs, expertly executing cuts, drives, and sweeps to exploit the fielding restrictions. Beth Mooney, despite a slower beginning, began to accelerate, hitting a few boundaries during this phase, including a reverse lap against Sophie Ecclestone’s first delivery.
On the very next ball, looking to be positive Mooney tried to chip one over infield but could just manage to hit it straight into the hands of Grace Harris at mid-off. With the ball coming inwards Mooney was cramped for room which brought to her downfall.
Spin all the way from the UP Warriorz
Warriorz Skipper Healy deployed 19 overs of spin against the Giants with 5 high-quality spinners in Sophie Ecclestone, Chamari Athapaththu, Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Grace Harris. The decision was prompted by the lone over of pace bowled by Anjali Sarvani, which conceded 13 runs. This prompted the Warriorz captain to opt for spin predominantly, a move that proved effective in stifling the Giants’ batting lineup.
Wolvaardt who started positively struggled to get going against the UP spinners and eventually spooned a catch to mid-off in Ecclestone’s second over. Ashleigh Gardner, coming in at the start of the 14th over, played a crucial innings, stitching a crucial partnership with Phoebe Litchfield to propel the Giants to a defendable total.
Ecclestone picks a 3-fer
Ecclestone had an opportunity to dismiss Phoebe Litchfield in the 15th over but was unlucky as Deepti Sharma dropped a simple catch after the batter top-edged a reverse sweep. The Giants capitalized on this partnership, with Litchfield and an aggressive Gardner adding a quick fifty-run partnership to take their team to 135/3 in 18 overs.
However, Sophie Ecclestone struck in her final over, dismissing Gardner on 30 and finishing with excellent figures of 3-20. Chamari Athapaththu’s brilliant catch to dismiss Gardner and Saima Thakor’s sharp fielding to run out Litchfield helped the Warriorz recover from some fielding lapses, limiting the Giants to 142 when they seemed on track for a 155-160 total. Litchfield top-scored for the Giants with her 35 from 26 balls.
Warriorz’ Commanding Batting Performance
Alyssa Healy’s aggressive innings, marked by seven fours, provided a flying start to the Warriorz’ quest of 143. Her quick 33 off 21 balls set the tone for the innings. However, the Giants fought back by dismissing Kiran Navgire and the Warriorz captain in successive overs, creating an opening in the match.
Chamari Athapaththu, in her WPL debut, added impetus with a quickfire 17 off 11 balls, momentarily widening the gap between the teams. But her dismissal, followed by that of Shweta Sehrawat, left the Warriorz at 90/4 just after the halfway mark of the innings. Although the required run rate didn’t pose significant pressure, further setbacks at that point could have altered the course of the game like in their first game of the tournament against the RCB.
Grace Harris- Deepti Sharma partnership does the trick again
Grace Harris ensured there was no comeback opportunity for the Giants. Despite losing two partners at the other end, Grace Harris remained proactive, finding the boundary regularly. She had already hit four fours and a six by the time two batters departed. Even as Deepti Sharma took some time to settle, Grace Harris continued to attack, adding more boundaries, including a second six, to guide her team comfortably towards victory.
Grace Harris was the star of the show, finishing unbeaten on 60 off just 33 deliveries, smashing nine boundaries along with two sixes to guide her team to a comfortable victory. Deepti Sharma played a supporting role with an unbeaten 17 off 14 balls, ensuring the chase was completed in just 15.4 overs. It is the second game in a row that both of these batters stepped up and took their team home without any further setbacks. Grace Harris had played a crucial role in that game too, remaining unbeaten on 38 at a strike rate of 223.53.
Upcoming Fixtures
UP Warriorz will face Royal Challengers Bangalore at the same venue after two days which will be the last match at this venue and they will move to Delhi for the business end of the marquee event. The last encounter between these two teams was a thrilling contest, with Smriti Mandhana’s side edging out UP Warriorz by just two runs in a last-ball thriller. On the other hand, Gujarat Giants will have a day’s gap before they take on Delhi Capitals in their next match.
Also Read: https://goworldwide.co.in/jonassen-and-kapp-lead-delhi-capitals-to-victory/