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After four consecutive losses, Gujarat Giants registered their first win in Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024. Skipper Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt's 140-run opening partnership helped Gujarat Giants post 199/5 and beat Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on March 6.
Wolvaardt-Mooney show
Mooney won the toss and opted to bat first. Wolvaardt and Mooney scored boundaries during the fielding restrictions and helped the Gujarat Giants score 59 runs in the powerplay overs. They accelerated in the middle overs. With three consecutive fours, Wolvaardt reached her half-century from 32 balls. At the halfway stage, they were 104 for no loss. Wolvaardt hit five more boundaries before her knock was ended by a run-out. Wolvaardt scored 76 runs from 45 balls including 13 fours. The 140-run partnership is the second-highest in WPL history. In the same over, Mooney reached his half-century from 32 balls.
Mooney takes Giants to big total
Phoebe Litchfield struggled to score freely. She hit her first boundary off the 14th delivery. In the 18th over, Mooney's catch was dropped. In the penultimate over, Litchfield got run out after scoring 18 runs from 17 balls. On the next ball, Georgia Wareham dismissed Ashleigh Gardner for a golden duck. In the final over, Dayalan Hemalatha got stumped whereas Veda Krishnamurthy was run out. Mooney remained not out for 86 off 51 balls to take Gujarat Giants to 199/5. Mooney's unbeaten 85 was laced with 12 fours and a six.
RCB’s slow start to the run chase
In the run chase, Mandhana and Sabbhineni Meghana managed to score just one run each in the first two overs. Mandhana broke the shackles with two consecutive sixes and a four off Tanuja Kanwar. Gardner in her second over trapped Mandhana in front of the stumps. She scored 24 runs from 16 balls. After the powerplay overs, RCB had 39/1 on the board. Meghana's stay at the crease ended with a run-out. She managed to score just four runs from 13 balls. Sophie Devine hit a couple of sixes with Ellyse Perry on the other side as they tried to revive the run chase.
Wareham’s whirlwind 48 not enough
Devine got bowled by Kanwar for a 16-ball 23. Richa Ghosh hit a six in the 13th over as the required run rate climbed up. In the next over, Perry was dismissed for a 23-ball 24 by Kathryn Bryce. Ghosh and Wareham went on an all-out attack. But Gardner returned to get rid of Ghosh. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 30 runs from 21 balls. Wareham hit Kanwar for a six and a four. She hit Meghna Singh for a six followed by a four in the penultimate over. On the third ball of the over, Sophie Molineux was run out. Wareham's entertaining knock of 48 from 22 balls came to an end on the last ball in another run-out. Her knock featured six fours and two sixes. In the last over, Ekta Bisht hit a six. On the last ball, Bisht became the sixth batter to get run out in the match. RCB managed to post 180/8 and lost the match by 19 runs.
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