RCB vs UPW Match 5 Results

5:28 PM IST So two wins in two games for the Royal Challengers. With this bossy win, they have leapfrogged to the top spot. Meg Lanning and Co. have a lot of soul-searching to do. Still early days in the tournament, but it has exposed which ends need to be tightened up. That's it from the fifth game of the season. Next up, we have another delicious clash as defending champions Mumbai Indians go up against the high-flying Gujarat Giants at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. That game will be played on Tuesday, 13th January, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). But do make sure to join us in advance for the buildup and the pre-match buzz. Until then, ta-ta, stay safe. Cheers!

5:26 PM IST Earlier in the game, Mandhana’s RCB chose to bowl first. UP Warriorz’s ploy of sending Harleen Deol to open alongside Lanning did not pay off, and when Lanning departed soon after, the innings began to unravel. RCB’s bowlers were relentless with their lines and lengths, and coupled with an excellent fielding display, they reduced the Warriorz to 50 for 5. At that stage, UPW desperately needed a partnership to materialise and arrest the slide. That stabilising stand eventually came through the alliance between Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin, who made 45 and 40 respectively. On the back of that partnership, the Warriorz lifted themselves out of the rut, adding 87 runs in the final ten overs without losing a wicket. With the ball, De Klerk and Patil picked up two wickets apiece. Shreyanka was taken to the cleaners in her final two overs, while Lauren Bell remained characteristically miserly with a wicket to her name.

5:25 PM IST This was ball-striking of the highest order. A reminder of just how destructive Grace Harris can be when she gets going. Full marks to her for a knock that was as ruthless as it was entertaining. It also goes down as RCB’s biggest win in WPL history in balls remaining, romping home with 47 balls to spare with 9 wickets in hand. UP Warriorz were totally outbowled, outbatted, and outplayed in all departments by their opponents. This marks their second defeat in as many games, and this loss will do some real damage to their net run rate.

5:25 PM IST Things only got uglier for the Warriorz in the final over of the Powerplay. Harris flipped the switch against Dottin and went absolutely berserk, carving out 32 runs in a single over. By the time Ecclestone finally came into the attack, the game had already slipped well beyond UP’s reach, with Harris and Mandhana having ticked off more than half the chase. Once Harris brought up her fifty off just 22 balls, RCB went straight for the kill. It was a lethal mix of Harris’s brute force and Mandhana’s classical strokeplay that sealed the deal emphatically for RCB.

5:24 PM IST The captain of UP Warriorz, Meg Lanning, says they would have loved to start the season with a win or two, but admits they were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She says RCB bowled really well up front and never allowed her side a sniff with the bat. Lanning says the positive is that games are coming thick and fast, which gives them a chance to bounce back. Adds that there are a few areas they need to tidy up. Lanning says the positive is that games are coming thick and fast, giving them a chance to bounce back. She admits there were too many dot balls early on, including from herself. When asked the reason for Shikha Pandey bowling cross seam with the new ball, Lanning is not sure, but assumes it may have been an attempt to get the ball to move off the wicket and says that Shikha is one of the best bowlers in the competition. Meg also says it is extremely difficult to stop Harris once she gets going and acknowledges that she showed her quality tonight.

5:22 PM IST RCB's Grace Harris is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her blazing knock of 85 off just 40 balls. She says that it feels pretty good and she is loving her time with RCB, calling it a great setup. She admits she initially thought she would be facing the older ball and had prepared for change-ups and the death overs, before realising she would be opening the innings. Harris adds that opening alongside Smriti Mandhana has been special, calling her classy and calm, and says watching her is a great reminder that you do not need to overhit the ball, given how technically correct she is. On a lighter note, Harris says she has not named her bat yet, joking that she could name it after an Indian burger. She laughs that it has a good middle so far, and says everything is going well for now. She reflects that batting second offers a slight advantage, especially given the conditions. Se gives full credit to the bowlers for restricting the opposition to 144, noting that it made the chase a lot easier. Underlines the importance of taking full advantage when conditions are in their favour and adds that she will put his hand up for everything, as long as she is part of the XI and playing cricket.