UP Warriorz lose opener to Gujarat Giants by 10 runs

Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield’s commanding knock of 78 off just 40 balls went in vain as Gujarat Giants beat UP Warriorz by 10 runs in a high-scoring Women’s Premier League match here on Saturday. Sent in to bat, captain Ashleigh Gardner struck a scintillating 65 before Georgia Warehamplayed a late cameo of 27 not out off just 10 balls as Gujarat Giants posted an impressive 207 for 4.

That total proved to be enough despite a stunning counter-attacking innings from Litchfield who kept the Warriorz in the hunt. But her departure in the 16th over virtually ended Warriorz’s valiant resistance. She hit eight fours and five sixes during her knock.

At the end, Warriorz ended at 197 for 8, falling short by 10 runs. Asha Sobhana made a late charge with an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes, but that turned out to be too late in the day. For Gujarat Giants, Australian Georgia Wareham grabbed two wickets for 30 runs with her leg-spin, to add to her stunning cameo with the bat earlier in the day.

Renuka Singh and Sophie Devine also got two wickets each while Gardner and Rajeshwari Gayakwad took one apiece. Warriorz began their chase of 208 on a shaky note with opener Kiran Navgire getting out in the fifth ball from Renuka. But captain and the other opener Meg Lanning (30 off 27 balls) and one-down Phoebe Litchfield steadied the innings with a 70-run stand for the second wicket. Thereafter, the Warriorz suffered a mini collapse with three batters Lanning, Harleen Deol (0) and Deepti Sharma (1) getting out for the addition of just one run in the space of five balls. The Warriorz slumped to 74 for 4 in the 10th over from 73 for 1 in the ninth over.There was a period of

69-run partnership between Litchfield and Shweta Sehrawat (25) but after that the Warriorz lost wickets in quick succession to lose the match. Earlier, Gardner played a captain’s knock to take Gujarat Giants to a big total. Coming at the fall of opener Sophie Devine (38) in the sixth over, Gardner stitched 103 runs with Anushka Sharma (44 off 30 balls) for the third wicket to take her side past the 170-run mark. She struck six boundaries and three sixes in her 41-ball effort. The Australian was out in the 18th over off the bowling of Sophie Ecclestone, but Wareham’s stunning blitzkrieg, which had one four and three sixes, took Gujarat Giants past the 200-run mark.

Bharti Fulmali also remained not out on 14 off seven balls with the help of two sixes. Ecclestone was the pick of the UP Warriorz bowling with figures of 2 for 32, while Shikha Pandey and Deandra Dottin got one wicket each.Star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma went wicket-less and conceded 32 runs in her three overs.