RCB bounced back from two consecutive defeats with a convincing 23-run victory over UP Warriorz on Monday, March 4, in the last match of the Bengaluru leg of WPL 2024. They secured the win thanks to a solid batting display.
RCB set a challenging total of 198/3, thanks to Smriti Mandhana‘s explosive 80 from 50 balls, Ellyse Perry’s quickfire 58 off 37, and Richa Ghosh’s brisk 21* off 10. Despite Alyssa Healy’s spirited 55 from 38 balls for the Warriorz, consistent loss of wickets restricted them to 175/8, leading to RCB’s 23-run victory.
New Opening Combo Pays Dividends for the RCB
RCB introduced a fresh opening pair with Sabbhineni Meghana joining Smriti Mandhana at the top. This new duo quickly proved effective, putting together a swift 51-run stand to lay a solid foundation after RCB was put into bat. Despite a tight first over from Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana and Meghana accelerated the scoring with a flurry of boundaries, including six fours shared between them.
Smriti Mandhana further upped the ante with sixes off Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Chamari Athapaththu. However, their promising partnership concluded in the powerplay’s last over when Meghana, attempted a shot to go over the infield against Anjali Sarvani but failed to generate enough power and was caught at cover for 28 off 21 balls. Ellyse Perry then entered and made an immediate impact, striking a boundary off her first delivery, propelling RCB to 57/1 after 6 overs, marking their highest powerplay score of the season.
Smriti Mandhana’s Explosive Knock
Smriti Mandhana benefited from a couple of fortunate incidents as her innings progressed. In the eighth over, a misjudgment by Athapaththu on a catch from long off deprived Sophie Ecclestone of a wicket. In the very next over, Athapaththu watched Alyssa Healy miss a stumping chance after Mandhana advanced down the track, though the ‘keeper suggested there might have been an inside edge to be fair enough it was a ridiculously tough chance with the keeper not having the sight of the ball and the ball was far too away from her.
Smriti Mandhana seized these chances, scoring her fourth boundary off Ecclestone with a deft guide past short third man, taking RCB to 84/1 by the midway point of their innings. Ellyse Perry, initially playing a more cautious innings, collected her second boundary off Rajeshwari Gayakwad in the 12th over. Mandhana, on the other hand, smashed her third six in the same over.
The 12th and 13th overs were eventful, with RCB reaching the 100-run mark, the partnership surpassing 50, and Smriti Mandhana reaching her fifty from 34 balls. The momentum continued for the RCB as UP Warriorz burnt a review and then suffered in a costly over from Athapaththu, with Smriti Mandhana hitting three fours, propelling RCB to 129/1 after 15 overs.
Mandhana and Perry’s Fifties, Richa Ghosh’s Blistering Cameo
The death overs witnessed a frenzy of scoring, as RCB piled on 69 runs in the final five overs. The onslaught commenced with a blistering 17-run over from Sarvani in the 16th, highlighted by Smriti Mandhana’s three fours, one of which was an opportunity missed due to a misjudgment from Ecclestone. Perry also contributed with a boundary in that over. Deepti Sharma dismissed Smriti Mandhana, ending her stay and the formidable 95-run partnership.
However, their joy was short-lived as Rajeshwari Gayakwad bore the brunt in the 18th over, conceding 21 runs. Perry smashed two sixes, and Richa Ghosh also joined the party with a maximum. Perry reached her fifty off just 33 balls with a four off Deepti and continued her onslaught with another six off the offspinner. Despite Perry’s dismissal to Ecclestone in the 20th over, Richa sealed the innings with a boundary, propelling RCB to their highest total in this edition of the WPL.
Warriorz Start Strong but Lose Wickets
Despite an economical start with a maiden over from Renuka Singh to Alyssa Healy, UP Warriorz quickly shifted gears in their chase. Healy unleashed two sixes off Sophie Devine, collecting 16 runs in the second over alone. The onslaught continued in the third over, as Renuka was hit for six and two fours by Kiran Navgire, accompanied by 9 extras, resulting in a hefty 24-run over. Sophie Molineux conceded only a boundary to Healy but bowled a tight over otherwise, giving away just 6 runs.
Navgire’s innings was cut short by Devine in the fifth over as she miscued a loft, with a wide being the only run in the over. The powerplay concluded with Athapaththu finding her rhythm, striking two fours off Molineux, as UP Warriorz reached 56/1 after 6 overs.
Controversial LBW Decision Adds Drama, Second Time Inside Two Weeks
UP Warriorz maintained a good scoring rate but lost wickets in the process, slipping to 90/4 in 10 overs. Healy greeted Georgia Wareham with a six, but Athapaththu departed in the same over, with RCB’s skipper Smriti Mandhana successfully reviewing an LBW decision. There was controversy over the decision, as it revealed that although it appeared the ball had turned away after pitching on a leg-stump line, ball tracking indicated it was heading straight, going on to hit the middle stump.
This decision left both Healy and the UP Warriorz team in disbelief. A similar DRS incident happened in the ongoing PSL too where a leg spinner from Shabad Khan was shown as a googly in the ball tracking. Later, the Hawk-eye owners accepted the mistake and apologized to the PCB.
Alyssa Healy Falls After a Fighting Fifty
Devine was hit for a boundary each by Healy and Harris, but Harris was caught behind attempting a scoop in the same over. Healy’s hat-trick of boundaries off Wareham was followed by Shweta Sehrawat’s dismissal to Asha Sobhana, who conceded just one run in her opening over. Healy reached her fifty off 34 balls but was stumped off Molineux soon after.
Khemnar’s Heroics Not Enough for Warriorz
Deepti Sharma and Poonam Khemnar tried to keep UP Warriorz in the hunt, but the requirement of 61 runs off the last five overs proved too challenging. Khemnar managed to strike a couple of boundaries off Devine, but despite her efforts, the required run rate continued to climb. By the end of the 17th over, it surpassed 16 runs per over, with Wareham conceding only three runs.
The dismissals of Deepti Sharma and Ecclestone in the following overs further tilted the game in favor of RCB, despite Khemnar’s resilient fight. This brought the equation down to 29 runs required off the final over. Molineux efficiently wrapped up proceedings, dismissing Khemnar in the process, sealing RCB’s successful defense for the second time against UP Warriorz.
Also Read: https://goworldwide.co.in/gujarat-giants-face-fourth-consecutive-loss/