UP Warriors Beat Gujarat Giants in a Thriller Match, RC Bangalore Women Out from the Tournament: On March 20, 2023, the 17th match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) was held between GG-W and UPW-W at the Brabourne Stadium. The UP Warriors won the match by three wickets with one ball remaining in the second innings, chasing the target of 179 runs.
The match was a significant one for the Warriors, as it put them through to the playoffs, while it was the end of the road for the Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural season of the WPL.
The game was a closely contested one and went down to the penultimate ball, just like the previous encounter between these two teams. The Warriors were led by Grace Harris, who played a match-winning innings of 72 runs off 41 balls.
In the previous match between the Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, Grace Harris had played an unbeaten knock of 59 runs off 26 balls, which had led her team to victory.
UP Warriors Beat Gujarat Giants, RC Bangalore Women Out from the Tournament | WPL 2023
In this match, she was instrumental yet again, despite getting out in the penultimate over of the innings after scoring 72 runs. However, by the time she got out, she had done most of the damage, and the Warriors required only seven runs off the last seven balls.
Harris and Tahlia McGrath had put on a crucial partnership of 78 runs that helped the Warriors chase down the target comfortably.
The final over of the match was an eventful one, as there were desperate dives, a run-out, and a clever hit for the winning runs. Sneh Rana, the captain of the Giants, was bowling the last over, and she had the ball when Sophie Ecclestone, the calm and composed English all-rounder, walked across her stumps and paddled Rana to the vacant fine-leg region for four runs, securing the win for the Warriors.
The Giants had a chance to turn the game around earlier in the match when Harris was on 11 runs, and Rana had the opportunity to run her out backing up at the non-striker’s end.
UP Warriors Beat Gujarat Giants, RC Bangalore Women Out from the Tournament | WPL 2023
However, Rana stopped in her bowling stride and appeared to give the non-striker a verbal warning, which turned out to be a costly mistake for the Giants.
The Giants had a campaign to forget, as they started with a controversy over Deandra Dottin and lost their captain Beth Mooney to injury. They only managed two wins throughout the tournament and failed to make it to the playoffs.
They had a respectable total of 178 for 6 on the board in this match, thanks to a brilliant partnership of 93 runs between D Hemalatha and Ashleigh Gardner, who scored 57 and 60 runs, respectively.
Sophia Dunkley and Laura Wolvaardt also contributed with quick runs at the top of the order, but they were unable to prevent their team from getting knocked out of the tournament.
UP Warriors Beat Gujarat Giants, RC Bangalore Women Out from the Tournament | WPL 2023
The Warriors had a few moments of concern in their chase, as they lost three wickets in the first five overs. However, the partnership between Harris and McGrath was enough to take them over the line.
The Warriors have been one of the most consistent teams in the tournament, and they will be looking to continue their form in the playoffs. Overall, it was an entertaining match, and the fans would have enjoyed the display of high-quality cricket from both teams.
In conclusion, the 17th match of the Women’s Premier League between Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz turned out to be a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire. Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath played magnificent knocks to take their team over the line, knocking out the Giants and securing a place in the playoffs.
The game showcased some brilliant performances from both sides, including Parshavi Chopra’s crucial breakthroughs for the Warriors and Hemalatha and Gardner’s excellent partnership for the Giants.
