 "WPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore score narrow two-run win over UP Warriorz as Richa, Meghana, Asha shine")
For the second Women’s Premier League (WPL) night in a row, the match went into the final over with Royal Challengers Bangalore triumphing over UP Warriorz on Saturday. Fifties by Richa Ghosh and S Meghana found support from leg-spinner Sobhana Asha as RCB celebrated their first home WPL match with a slender two-run win over UPW.
Richa (62 from 37 balls) and Meghana (53 from 44 balls) pushed Royal Challengers to a par 157/6 on a slightly tacky pitch as they added 71 runs for the fourth wicket in 50 balls.
Grace Harris (38 from 23 balls) and Shweta Sehrawat (31 from 25 balls) scored 77 runs in 44 balls for the fourth wicket but UP could not survive a fifer by Asha (5/22), ending at 155/7.
The Warriorz looked on course for a win at 116/3 in the 15th over, but Shobhana’s three-wicket burst in the 17th over changed the complexion of the game.
She jettisoned Harris, Sehrawat and Kiran Navgire in that over to break UP’s hopes.
Earlier, Warriorz’s chase got off to a rather sedate start after losing skipper Alyssa Healy in the second over.
Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux produced a ripper to get rid of Healy. The ball pitched around middle and off line, before straightening to clip the bails off past the tentative prod of the UP opener.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsVrinda Dinesh and Tahlia McGrath added 38 runs for the second wicket but they also consumed 7.4 overs for it, struggling to pull out big shots on a slow deck.
But Shobhana struck heavy blows in the 9th over, dismissing both Vrinda and McGrath.
Vrinda, who laboured to a 28-ball 18, tried to step down and hoick Shobhana but missed the ball as stumper Richa did the rest.
Shobhana ousted McGrath two balls later when the Aussie batter’s attempt to slog sweep saw the ball rearranging her stumps.
Earlier, RCB batters hobbled to a total that proved just enough on the night.
The RCB were tottering at 54 for three in 7.5 overs after being asked to bat first.
Sensing the situation, Meghana and Richa took their time to settle into their partnership, but once they got their eyes in, the RCB pair did not look back.
Meghana, who was dropped on 20 and 22, made full use of those let-offs to play some stunning shots around the ground.
Her thumping loft over extra cover for a six off left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was good enough to watch in loop.
She reached her fifty in 40 balls, and Richa, who hammered pacer Saima Thakor for 16 runs in the 14th over, reached her own mark soon off 31 balls with a four off Tahlia McGrath.
The partnership was broken when Gayakwad had Meghana stumped by Alyssa Healy.
But before that steady stand, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry struggled to come to terms with the sluggishness of the track, perishing in their attempt to force the pace.
(with inputs from PTI)
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