Gujarat defeats Bangalore for maiden WPL win

MUMBAI: Gujarat Giants secured its maiden victory in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) with a 11-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a high-scoring match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Bangalore suffered its third successive defeat and is now the only team that is yet to register a win in the inaugural edition of the WPL. After putting 201 for seven on the board, riding on half-centuries from opener Sophia Dunkley (65 off 28 balls, 11 fours, 3 sixes) and No.3 Harleen Deol (67 off 45 balls, 9 fours, 1 six), Giants restricted Royal Challengers to 190 for six.

In the second essay, opening batter Sophie Devine struck 66 (45 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) while Heather Knight smashed an unbeaten 30 off just 11 deliveries (5 fours, 1 six), but Bangalore fell short of its target in the end. Off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner (3/31) was the destroyer-in-chief, sending RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana (18), Richa Ghosh (10) and Kanika Ahuja (10) back to the pavilion.

Earlier, for a third match in a row at the venue, the Bangalore bowlers were hammered all over the park and conceded more than 200 runs. While Dunkley recorded the fastest fifty in the WPL so far, Deol notched up her first half-century of the tournament.

Dunkley unleashed her power game, welcoming Renuka Singh Thakur with a beautiful lofted six over the cover region. The England batter took a special liking for Preeti Bose, hitting the RCB spinner for four fours and a maximum in the fifth over to collect 23 runs and bring up a stunning 18-ball half-century.

Deol got two lifelines late in her innings, with Preeti dropping a tough chance when she was on 61 and Richa missing a regulation stumping soon after.

BRIEF SCORES: Gujarat Giants 201/7 in 20 overs (H Deol 67, S Dunkley 65) bt Royal Challengers Bangalore 190/6 in 20 overs (S Devine 66, A Gardner 3/31)