Women's Premier League 2024; Gujarat Giants register first win of season

Gujarat Giants snapped their four-match losing streak in the Women's Premier League 2024 as they beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 19 runs at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday (March 6, 2024). The defeat gave Gujarat their first points in the WPL 2024 points table while the RCB women's team remained on the second spot. 

Chasing a daunting 200-run target, Bangalore were off to a horrid start as they lost their captain Smriti Mandhana with just 31 runs on board. Mandhana's opening partner Sabbhineni Meghana (4 of 13 balls) wasted deliveries before a lazy second run found her short of the crease.

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To keep the required run rate in check, Ellyse Perry was promoted but it didn't improve RCB's chances given she managed only 24 off 23 balls. Georgia Wareham (48 off 22 balls) did use the long handle to great effect but it was too late in the end and eventually, RCB fell short by 18 runs. This was RCB's third defeat in six games and they were outplayed in all departments of the game.

WPL 2024: Gujarat vs Bangalore full scorecard

Royal Challengers Bangalore full scorecard

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (T: 200 runs from 20 ovs)
BATTING	Dismissals	R	B	M	4s	6s	SR
Sabbhineni Meghana	run out (Wolvaardt/†Mooney)	4	13	24	0	0	30.76
Smriti Mandhana (c)	lbw b Gardner	24	16	15	2	2	150
Ellyse Perry	c †Mooney b Bryce	24	23	36	3	0	104.34
Sophie Devine	b Kanwar	23	16	16	1	2	143.75
Richa Ghosh †	c Meghna Singh b Gardner	30	21	23	5	1	142.85
Georgia Wareham	run out (Wolvaardt/Meghna Singh)	48	22	26	6	2	218.18
Sophie Molineux	run out (Litchfield/Meghna Singh)	3	3	12	0	0	100
Simran Bahadur	not out	1	2	7	0	0	50
Ekta Bisht	run out (Krishnamurthy/Gardner)	12	5	4	0	1	240
Extras	(b 5, lb 4, nb 1, w 1)	11
TOTAL	20 Ov (RR: 9.00)	180/8
BOWLING	O	M	R	W	ECON	0s	4s
Ashleigh Gardner	4	0	23	2	5.75	14	2
Kathryn Bryce	4	0	26	1	6.5	10	4
Tanuja Kanwar	4	0	43	1	10.75	8	4
Meghna Singh	4	0	42	0	10.5	7	2
Mannat Kashyap	1	0	10	0	10	1	0
Shabnam MD	3	0	27	0	9	6	5

Earlier, Beth Mooney and her opening partner Laura Wolvaardt gave Gujarat a flying start. The duo stitched a 140-run opening stand before Wolvaardt got run out for 45-ball 76. 

Sophie Devine (0/37 in 3 overs) and Renuka Thakur (0/34 in 4 overs) gave freebies to the Giants' opener, who capitalised on that. 

While Devine did play some skilful shots, gliding a few past short third-man, Wolvaardt hit 13 boundaries as she rocked back to pull off leg-spinner Asha Sobhana (0/11 in 1 over) and former India left-arm spinner Ekta Bist (0/31 in 3 overs).

Following Wolvaardt's run-out, Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield (18) combined to score 52 runs in just 5.3 overs. However, the Gujarat captain was left stranded at the non-striker's end, as seven runs were added off the final 10 balls with four dismissals.

Mooney scored a whopping twelve fours and a massive six over mid-wicket.

WPL 2024: Gujarat vs Bangalore full scorecard

Gujarat Giants full scorecard

Gujarat Giants Women (20 ovs maximum)
BATTING	Dismissals	R	B	M	4s	6s	SR
Laura Wolvaardt	run out (Bisht/†Ghosh)	76	45	57	13	0	168.88
Beth Mooney (c)†	not out	85	51	87	12	1	166.66
Phoebe Litchfield	run out (Mandhana/†Ghosh)	18	17	21	1	0	105.88
Ashleigh Gardner	c Bahadur b Wareham	0	1	1	0	0	0
Dayalan Hemalatha	st †Ghosh b Molineux	1	3	2	0	0	33.33
Veda Krishnamurthy	run out (Bisht/†Ghosh)	1	2	3	0	0	50
Kathryn Bryce	not out	1	1	1	0	0	100
Extras	(lb 3, w 14)	17
TOTAL	20 Ov (RR: 9.95)	199/5
BOWLING	O	M	R	W	ECON	0s	4s
Sophie Devine	3	0	37	0	12.33	2	4
Renuka Singh	4	0	34	0	8.5	8	3
Sophie Molineux	4	0	32	1	8	8	4
Georgia Wareham	4	0	36	1	9	7	4
Ekta Bisht	3	0	31	0	10.33	7	6
Asha Sobhana	1	0	11	0	11	1	2
Ellyse Perry	1	0	15	0	15	0	3