Gardner takes Gujarat to easy win

Captain Ash Gardner's 58 led Gujarat Giants to a six-wicket win over RCB, marking their second victory in WPL while RCB faced their third straight loss.

New Delhi: Captain Ash Gardner led from the front scoring a quickfire 58 off 31 as Gujarat Giants registered their second win of Women’s Premier League as they defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Thursday. RCB’s slide continued as they were handed their third consecutive loss at home.

Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner. (PTI)

Chasing 126, Giants wobbled at the start as Renuka Thakur (2/24) bowled with precision and dismissed Beth Mooney (17) and Dayalan Hemalatha (11) early. Leg-spin proved to be the undoing for Harleen Deol yet again as Georgia Wareham (2/26) sent her back to the hut for 5.

Gardner, however, combined with Phoebe Litchfield (30*) to stitch a 51-run partnership that proved to be decisive. Gardner’s third fifty of the season was laced with three sixes and six fours. She was particularly harsh against leg-spinner Prema Rawat in the ninth over where she scored 19 runs, essentially turning the momentum in GG’s favour.

By the time, she was dismissed by Wareham in the 16th over, the job was nearly done for GG.

Reeling at the bottom of the table with just one win in four matches, GG delivered with the ball. West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin (2/31) and left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwer (2/16) led the charge while captain Gardner (1/22) and Kashvee Gautam (1/17) provided crucial support.

Opting to bowl first, GG struck early reducing RCB to 25/3 inside the powerplay. Skipper Smriti Mandhana struggled in her laborious 20-ball 10 while her opening partner Danni Wyatt-Hodge was dismissed for 4. Matters became worse when in-form Ellyse Perry fell for a duck.

Kanika Ahuja (33) and Ragvi Bist (22) briefly counter-attacked, stitching together a 48-run partnership. Ahuja targeted leg-spinner Priya Mishra, smashing 18 runs in the eighth over. GG hit back three overs later, dismissing both batters in quick succession.

Georgia Wareham (20*) and Richa Ghosh (9) attempted to revive the innings with a 21-run stand but Gautam’s yorker sent Ghosh packing, confining RCB to just 34 runs in the final four overs. GG’s disciplined bowling effort put them in prime position to chase down the modest target.