WPL: Mooney, Wolvaardt star in Gujarat Giants' 1st win of season
Wolvaardt was at her free-flowing best, while skipper Mooney was equally regal as Gujarat Giants finally put up a splendid batting show, posting a challenging 199 for 5 riding on an opening stand of 140 in 13 overs
PTI
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Gujarat Giants' batter Beth Mooney during WPL 2024 cricket match, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. PHOTO: PTI
New Delhi, 6 March
Laura Wolvaardt and Beth Mooney
were in their elements as Gujarat Giants recorded a comfortable 19-run victory
over Royal Challengers Bangalore to log their first points after four defeats
in the Women's Premier League here on Wednesday.
Wolvaardt was at her free-flowing
best, while skipper Mooney was equally regal as Gujarat Giants finally put up a
splendid batting show, posting a challenging 199 for 5 riding on an opening
stand of 140 in 13 overs. Having brought up the rear in points table so far,
Gujarat Giants openers Wolvaardt (76 off 45 balls) and Mooney (85 not out off
51 balls) hit 25 boundaries between them apart from a six.
In reply, RCB never seemed in the
hunt as they managed only 180 for 8 with none of their top batters being able
to convert solid starts. This was RCB's third defeat in six games and they were
outplayed in all departments of the game.
RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana (24 off
16 balls) started cautiously but then launched into rookie spinner Tanuja
Kanwer, lofting her effortlessly over long-on for two sixes followed by a
boundary behind square.
However Ashleigh Gardner deceived
Mandhana with a flighted delivery that ought to have been played on the
front-foot but the Indian women's team vice-captain went on the backfoot and
was trapped plumb in-front. Her opening partner Sabbhineni Meghana (4 of 13
balls) wasted deliveries galore before a lazy second run found her short of the
crease.
Once Ellyse Perry (24 off 23) and
Sophie Devine (23 off 16 balls) added 32 in just 3.5 overs, there were hopes of
revival but the latter was bowled going for an ugly hoick.
RCB's challenge was literally over
when seamer Kathryn Bryce sent Perry back with a delivery that pitched slightly
back of length and the Australian all-rounder went for a cute reverse ramp but
was beautifully snapped by Mooney behind the stumps. Georgia Wareham (48 off 22
balls) did use the long handle effectively but it was too late in the end.
Earlier, it did help that RCB
bowlers couldn't hit the right length on a Feroz Shah Kotla belter, as
right-handed Wolvaardt and left-handed Mooney muscled the half-trackers during
the Powerplay overs.
Both Sophie Devine (0/37 in 3
overs) and Renuka Thakur (0/34 in 4 overs) bowled too full as Mooney played
some crisp cover drives while Wolvaardt also launched into Thakur with some
beastly pulls.
Wolvaardt hit 13 boundaries as she
rocked back to pull the likes of leg-spinner Asha Sobhana (0/11 in 1 over) and
former India left-arm spinner Ekta Bist (0/31 in 3 overs), while Devine did
play some deft shots gliding a few past short third-man.
Once Wolvaardt was run-out, Mooney
teamed up with Phoebe Litchfield (18) to add 52 runs in just 5.3 overs, but the
Gujarat skipper remained stranded at the non-striker''s end with seven runs
being added off last 10 balls with as many as four dismissals.
Mooney, on her part, hit 12 fours
and a huge six over mid-wicket.
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