WPL: Georgia Voll stars in UP Warriorz win over RCB

A last-ball run out denied her the league’s first hundred and Richa Ghosh’s 33-ball 69 wasn’t enough for the holders in Lucknow

Lucknow: A last ball run out at the other end left Georgia Voll stranded at 99 but spurred UP Warriorz to a 12-run win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the champions stuck at the bottom of the five-team table, in the Women’s Premier League here on Saturday.

UPW batter Georgia Voll in action against RCB on Saturday. (PTI)

Before a huge crowd to mark International Women’s Day, Voll’s 56-ball knock (17x4, 1x6) powered UPW to a massive 225/5, the all-time best total in the WPL, deep into its third season. She equalled Sophie Devine’s highest individual score in WPL history after giving UPW a sound start, putting on a 77-run opening partnership with Grace Harris (39-22b, 7x4, 1x6). Kiran Navgire (46 - 16b, 2x4, 5x6) was the other main run-getter for UPW.

The win took UPW to fourth (6 points), pushing RCB to the bottom. RCB next play Mumbai Indians at Mumbai on Tuesday but even a win won’t help them make the playoffs.

RCB, whose skipper Smriti Mandhana had elected to bowl first, got off to a flying start in the chase, but were 213 all out in 19.3 overs at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.

RCB took 28 runs in the penultimate over when Sneh Rana (26 – 6b, 2x4, 3x6) clobbered UPW skipper Deepti Sharma’s off-spin for three sixes and a four, but was brilliantly caught by Poonam Khemnar at the mid-wicket boundary off Sharma’s last ball.

Richa Ghosh (69 - 33b, 6x4, 5x6), Ellyse Perry (28) and Sabbhineni Meghana (27 - 12b, 2x4, 2x6) kept RCB’s scoreboard ticking at a fast pace, but it was to no avail in the end. Sophie Ecclestone (3/25) and Deepti Sharma (3/50) were the pick of UPW bowlers with Chennelle Henry taking 2/39.

Brief scores: UPW 225/5 (Georgia Voll 99*, Kiran Navgire 46); RCB 213 in 19.3 overs (Richa Ghosh 69, Sophie Ecclestone 3/25, Deepti Sharma 3/50). UPW won by 12 runs.