Sophia Dunkley and Harleen Deol’s impressive fifties propelled the Gujarat Giants to their maiden victory in the WPL 2023, securing an 11-run triumph over the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday.
Winning the toss, the Giants opted to bat first, with both teams eager to secure their first points of the tournament. However, it was the Giants who came out on top, thanks to the exceptional performances of Dunkley and Deol.
The innings of the Gujarat Giants began at a sluggish pace, with the first over by Megan Schutt resulting in a maiden. However, Dunkley soon found her rhythm and began to execute some impressive shots. Despite losing her partner Meghana with a score of 22 in just three overs, Dunkley persevered and continued to display her exceptional striking abilities.
Dunkley also achieved a remarkable feat in the WPL 2023 by scoring the fastest fifty in just 18 balls, surpassing the previous record set by Mumbai Indians captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, in the first game of the tournament.
The English batter infused much-needed momentum into the Gujarat innings, receiving excellent support from Harleen, who played the anchor role at the time. After Dunkley departed for 65 with the score at 82 for two, Harleen took over and began to accelerate. The Indian batter received support from Gardner, Hemalatha, and Sutherland, who produced some quick cameos, further boosting the team’s performance.
The RCB innings began with a bang as Sophie Devine took charge in the early stages of the match. With Mandhana providing solid support at the other end, the duo put on an impressive opening partnership of 54 runs in just 5.2 overs.
Unfortunately, the dismissal of Mandhana slowed down the scoring rate. Despite Devine and Ellyse Perry’s valiant efforts to keep the momentum going with a 43-run partnership, the required run rate had increased significantly.
In the 12th over, Perry managed to hit Mansi Joshi for two boundaries, but unfortunately, she perished soon after. This put immense pressure on RCB and Devine. To make matters worse, Richa Ghosh played an uncharacteristic knock of 10 from as many balls, leaving RCB in a precarious position at 125 for three in 15.1 overs.
However, Heather Knight came in and quickly got into the groove, hitting two boundaries off Gardner. With only four overs left, RCB needed 67 runs to secure the win. It was a challenging task, but Knight’s aggressive start gave the team a glimmer of hope.
During the match, Knight’s impressive performance kept RCB in the running with three boundaries off Sutherland, bringing the equation to 44 off 18 balls. Kanika also contributed to the team’s efforts by putting pressure on Sneh Rana with a couple of boundaries. However, Gardner ended her stay in the 19th over, leaving RCB with a daunting task of needing 33 runs off just 11 balls.
Sutherland was entrusted with the crucial task of closing the game, and she delivered with aplomb, claiming the wicket of Khemnar with her very first ball. Although Shreyanka put up a valiant effort towards the end, it was ultimately too little, too late, as the Giants emerged victorious.
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