In the final game of the Bengaluru leg of the WPL 2024, RCB overcame UP Warriorz by 23 runs on Monday, March 4, riding high on a brilliant batting display after two straight losses.
Briefly put
Ellyse Perry’s 37-ball 58 (four fours, four sixes) and Richa Ghosh’s 21* off 10 (2 fours, one six) combined with Smriti Mandhana’s 80 off 50 (ten fours and three sixes) to help RCB post a commanding 198/3. Although Alyssa Healy scored 55 off of 38 balls, the Warriorz ultimately finished with a 175/8 total because to frequent wicket losses.
An innovative opening pair
RCB made the decision to switch up the initial lineup, pairing Mandhana with Sabbhineni Meghana. Being asked to bat first proved to be a wise decision as they quickly added 51 to establish a solid foundation. Following a sparse first over from Grace Harris, Mandhana and Meghana got things going with consistent boundaries. The RCB captain smacked sixes off of Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Chamari Athapaththu, while they each hit six fours. In the last powerplay over, Meghana and Anjali Sarvani’s partnership came to an end as she failed to get a shot through the off side, giving a catch to cover as she went out for 28 off 21. With a four off the first ball she faced, Ellyse Perry got things started for the Royals, who reached their season-high PP score of 57/1 after six overs.
Mandhana takes advantage of opportunities lost
As the innings went on, Mandhana had a few fortunate breaks. Athapaththu misread a catch coming in from a long way to deprive Sophie Ecclestone a wicket in the ninth over. After Mandhana came down the track, Athapaththu saw Healy miss a take, missing a stumping opportunity, though the ‘keeper thought there might have been an inside edge. After that, Mandhana reached her fourth boundary off Ecclestone, guiding the short third man past, and the RCB reached 84/1 midway through the innings. In the twelfth over, Perry, looking a little tame, smashed her second four off Gayakwad, and in the same over, Mandhana struck her third six. In the 12th and 13th overs, the RCB reached 100, the partnership reached 50, Mandhana reached a fifty off 34 balls, and Perry struck her first six. After losing a review, UPW had a huge over off Athapaththu in which Mandhana hit three fours, leading RCB to 129/1 after fifteen.
What took place during the death overs?
Carnage, as 69 of the previous five were removed. Sarvani bowled the opening 17-run over, in which Mandhana hit three fours (one of which was a wasted opportunity due to an error of judgement by Ecclestone) and Perry added a boundary. Deepti Sharma ended Mandhana’s stay and their 95-run partnership, but UPW’s happiness was fleeting. In the 18th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad was dismissed for 21, with two sixes from Perry and a maximum from Richa Ghosh. Perry smashed a six and a four against Deepti to reach a 33-ball fifty. The offspinner was also smacked for a six. Richa finished it with a boundary as he scored the highest total in this WPL season, but Perry fell to Ecclestone in the 19th over.
A promising beginning despite economic overs
Renuka Singh got things started with a maiden to Alyssa Healy, but UPW quickly stepped on the gas, setting the tone for the chase. Healy smacked two sixes off Sophie Devine, and the second over produced sixteen runs. Kiran Navgire smashed two fours and a six off Renuka, and she also gave up seven wides in the third over, which produced twenty-four runs. Healy hit Sophie Molineux for a four, but she bowled a clean over, conceding just six runs. In the fifth over, Navgire mishandled a loft and Devine ended his stay. The only run in the over came off a wide. Athapaththu hit two fours off Molineux to round off the powerplay, which saw UPW reach 56/1 after six.
What was UPW’s outcome following that?
They continued to score runs at a strong rate. However, when they fell to 90/4 in 10 overs, they also lost wickets in the process. Georgia Wareham was welcomed into the attack by Healy with a six, but Athapaththu fell in the same over, and the RCB used a review to get a leg-before-wick judgment. Even though it was a traditional leg spin, UPW was shocked to see the ball pitch on leg and turn away from Athapaththu. Healy and Harris both hit Devine for fours in the same over, but Harris fell after getting caught behind while trying to scoop. Healy’s three fours off Wareham were counterbalanced by the departure of Shweta Sehrawat, who was bowled out by Asha Sobhana after conceding five runs in her opening over. Healy reached a fifty off 34 balls, but she was out of the game quickly by Molineux. The equation of 61 off the final five overs was a difficult order, despite Deepti and Poonam Khemnar’s best efforts to keep UPW in the hunt.
And what about the conclusion?
Despite a few fours from Khemnar off Devine, Wareham only gave up three runs in the 17th over as the needed rate grew and eventually passed 16. Khemnar put up a fight, but the wickets of Deepti and Ecclestone in the next two overs further put UPW out of the game, taking the score to 29 off the last over. With minimal fuss, Molineux secured the wicket of Khemnar and helped RCB secure a successful second-half defensive against UPW.
Brief scores: UP Warriorz 175/8 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 55, Deepti Sharma 33; Sophie Molineux 2-29, Asha Sobhana 2-29) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 198/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Ellyse Perry 58; Sophie Ecclestone 1-22) by 23 runs.
