Mandhana, Perry carry RCB to 23-run win over UPW

BENGALURU: Engaging fifties by skipper Smriti Mandhana and star all-rounder Ellyse Perry formed the foundation of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s convincing 23-run win over UP Warriorz in their Women’s Premier League match here on Monday.

Mandhana (80, 50b, 10x4, 3x6) and Perry (58, 37b, 4x4, 4x6) added 95 runs off just 64 balls for the second wicket as Royal Challengers made a formidable 198 for three.

The Warriorz’s chase did not have much to write home about except a fifty (55, 38b, 7x4, 3x6) by captain Alyssa Healy as it ended at 175/8. But the visitor made a cracking beginning to its innings scoring 47 in just 4.2 overs as Healy and Kiran Navgire tore into RCB bowlers after a first-over maiden by pacer Renuka Singh.

Healy moussed two sixes off pacer Sophie Devine in the second over to start the run glut, and then hammered Renuka for 24 runs in the next over as Navgire also took part in the fun with a four and six.

But Devine ended that partnership when she ousted Navgire and her dismissal cooled down the run-collection rate.

The ever-mounting asking rate forced the UP batters to go after big shots as they lost Chamari Athapathuthu (8), in-form Grace Harris (5) and Shweta Sehrawat (1) while adding 26 runs between the seventh and 10th over. At 90 for four after 10 overs, the burden of taking the UP outfit past the target was entirely on Healy and she tried gamely with a 34-ball fifty.

But left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux curtailed her stint as Healy failed to connect a tossed-up ball on middle and leg and Richa Ghosh did the rest behind the stumps.

Earlier, looking to get out of a two-match losing streak, RCB promoted S Meghana as opener in place of Devine and the move paid off.

BRIEF SCORES: RCB 198/3 in 20 overs (S Mandhana 80, E Perry 58) bt UP Warriorz Women 175/8 (A Healy 55)