UP Warriorz clinched the third and final playoff spot after half-centuries from Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath helped them achieve a three-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in a last-over thriller during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) match at Brabourne Stadium on Monday.
With this, UP Warriorz is at third position in the points table with four wins and three losses and a total of eight points. GG on the other hand is at the bottom with two wins and six losses. They have only two points and have finished their campaign. Notably, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is also out of the tournament.
After electing to bat first, Gujarat Giants was off to a solid start. Openers Sophia Dunkley and Laura Wolvaardt rotated the strike well and hit some big shots as well. In the next over, spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad pushed Gujarat further into trouble, dismissing a dangerous-looking Dunkley for 23, which came off 12 balls. Anjali did the job as a catcher, taking a good catch at short third man.
Dayalan was joined by Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner and both started to build a partnership.
GG crossed the 100-run mark in 11.3 overs. Gardner and Dayalan brought up their 50-run stand in 33 balls, with help of a sixer from Gardner.
The 12th over by Sophie Ecclestone gave away 15 runs, including two fours and a six by Gardner, and took the score to 105/3 in 12 overs, with Dayalan (35*) and Gardner (25*) unbeaten at the crease. The duo continued to find boundaries and sixes easily and brought GG back into the game after some early wickets. At the end of 15 overs, GG was at 129/3, with Dayalan (45*) and Gardner (38*) unbeaten at the crease. Dayalan brought up her half-century in just 30 balls.
GG crossed the 150-run mark in 16.5 overs. Gardner reached her half-century, her second in the tournament in 35 balls after hitting Deepti Sharma for a four and a six.
Parshavi picked her second wicket, dismissing Gardner for 60 of 39 balls. The innings included six fours and three sixes. Half of the GG line-up was inside the hut for 166 runs in 18.1 overs.
Sophie Ecclestone picked up her first wicket, dismissing Ashwani Kumari for just 5. GG was 177/6 in 19.4 overs.
GG finished their innings at 178/6, with Sushma Verma (8*) and Kim Garth (1*) unbeaten at the crease. Kim Garth and Tanuja Kanwar took two next wickets, dismissing Kiran Navgire (4) and Devika Vaidya (7) for single-digit scores, reducing UPW to 39/3 in 4.5 overs.
At the end of the powerplay in six overs, UPW was at 52/3, with Tahlia McGrath (27*) and Grace Harris (0*) unbeaten on the crease.
The duo started to build a partnership of sorts and took UPW through the first half of the inning without any loss of wicket. At the end of 10 overs, UPW was 82/3, with Tahlia McGrath (41*) and Grace (16*) unbeaten.
Harris and Gardner eventually brought up their 50-run stand. Grace Harris played yet another clutch innings for UPW, bringing up her second fifty of WPL in 32 balls. She started to build a partnership with Sophie Ecclestone.
The duo brought down the equation to 19 in the final two overs.