Ashleigh Gardner, the captain, was outstanding with the bat and the ball as the Gujarat Giants defeated the UP Warriorz by a margin of six wickets in their Women’s Premier League encounter.
In Sunday’s Women’s Premier League encounter in Vadodara, Gujarat Giants defeated UP Warriorz by a commanding six wickets thanks to the exceptional play of captain Ashleigh Gardner at bat and with the ball. Gujarat won their first match of the third tournament after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the previous match. Gardner (2/39) took two wickets before hitting a brilliant 32-ball fifty, her second consecutive fifty. Gujarat chose to bowl and put up a brilliant display, with teenage spinner Priya Mishra posting remarkable 4-0-25-3 statistics. Crucial contributions from Kashvee Gautam (1/15), Deandra Dottin (2/34) and skipper Gardner also helped limit UPW to 143 for nine.After UPW added spin at both ends, the Giants, who needed to win by 144 runs, were reduced to 22 for 2, with opener Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalata back in the pavilion. But Gardner’s brilliant performance, which included Laura Wolvaardt (22) and 55 runs off 42 balls, brought the innings back to life.
After relieving some of the pressure with two fours off Kranti Goud, Gardner hit Saima Thakor twice into the stands in the fifth over. GG reached 41 for 2 in six overs when Wolvaardt hit a six and 20 runs came off the over.
Before being removed by Tahila McGrath in the 12th over, the GG captain hit five fours and three sixes.With two overs remaining, Harleen Deol (34) and Dottin (33) combined for 58 runs off 37 balls, so it had minimal impact.
Uma Chetry (24) and Shweta Sehrawat (16) contributed helpfully in the middle order, but UPW captain Deepti Sharma had previously top-scored with a 27-ball 39. Saima Thakor (15) and Alana King (19) put together a late burst, scoring 26 runs off 13 balls to put UPW over 140.
Early on, the Warriorz struggled, as Dottin and Gardner cheaply dispatched Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh. Dottin trapped Navgire in front of him, and Gardner cleaned up Dinesh, reducing UPW to 22 for 2 by the third over.With UPW only managing 41 for 2 in the powerplay, Chetry and Deepti’s attempts to rally were thwarted by the Gujarat team’s tight bowling. Chetry was dismissed by Dottin, who ended their 50-run partnership off 43 balls.
After that, Mishra hit twice in three balls, dismissing Australians Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath to put UPW at 78 for 5 in the eleventh over.
Deepti and Sehrawat tried to rally, but Gardner’s spectacular catch dismissed Deepti, and by the 18th over, UPW had fallen to 117 for 8.
