Shabnam’s Stellar Performance Overshadows Deepti’s Brilliance, Keeping Giants in Contention

Deepti Sharma continued her impressive form by scoring her third consecutive half-century, remaining unbeaten on 88 off 60 deliveries. However, her outstanding performance was not enough to secure a victory for UP Warriorz, as they fell short by 8 runs against Gujarat Giants. Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 74 off 52, supported by some late hitting from the captain, propelled Giants to a total of 152/8. Despite a shaky start where Warriorz were 35/5, Shabnam Shakil’s three wickets, an unbroken 109-run partnership between Deepti and Poonam Khemnar couldn’t see Warriorz through as they ended the league stage with 6 points, now relying on other results and mathematics to qualify.

Wolvaardt’s Explosive Batting Sets the Tone for Giants

Laura Wolvaardt displayed a masterclass in batting during the powerplay, showcasing a variety of shots including crunchy cover drives, well-timed lofts, leg-glances, and even a one-handed shot over the bowler’s head. Her aggressive approach saw her taking on both spin and pace bowlers, providing Giants with a rapid start. By the end of the powerplay, Wolvaardt had struck 8 fours and a six, propelling her team to 53/0 while Beth Mooney, at the non-striker’s end, was content with her 10 off 11 deliveries.

Warriorz Fight Back with Wickets

After the powerplay, UP Warriorz showed resilience with the ball, picking up wickets at regular intervals to stall Gujarat Giants’ progress in the middle overs. The turning point came when Laura Wolvaardt was stumped off Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling, followed by Dayalan Hemalatha’s dismissal, caught behind off Chamari Athapaththu. Deepti Sharma further dented Giants’ progress by dismissing Phoebe Litchfield, reducing them to 73/3 in the 11th over. Beth Mooney, who had struggled to 23 off 25 deliveries, found her rhythm with a six and a four off Ecclestone. Ash Gardner joined the action, hitting a four off Athapaththu and a six off Rajeshwari Gayakwad, but Gayakwad had the last laugh as Gardner was dismissed. Giants stumbled to 105/5 in 15 overs when Bharati Fulmali was caught behind off a bottom edge from Deepti’s bowling.

Mooney’s Late Heroics Propel Giants to Strong Finish

With Kathryn Bryce’s departure after a run-a-ball 11 in the 18th over, and Tanuja Kanwar falling shortly after, Gujarat Giants were in dire need of acceleration with only 118 runs on the board after 17 overs. Beth Mooney, the captain, was struggling to find her fluent touch and wasn’t getting much strike in the death overs. However, after being dropped in the 18th over, Mooney shifted gears dramatically. She smashed two successive fours off Deepti Sharma to bring up her 50 off 42 balls and capitalized on her luck after being dropped again by Poonam Khemnar. Mooney’s onslaught continued in the final over, where she hit five boundaries off Sophie Ecclestone, helping Giants post a competitive total of over 150. Ecclestone, who had figures of 3-17 after her third over, finished with 3-38.

UPW’s Early Woes in the Chase

Needing to surpass Royal Challengers Bangalore’s net run rate, UP Warriorz required a quick start in their chase. Alyssa Healy’s boundary off Shakib Al Hasan’s first ball hinted at an aggressive intent, but their innings unraveled soon after. Healy’s attempt to loft a delivery from Shakib resulted in a mishit, and she was caught at mid-off. Chamari Athapaththu also departed in the same over, mistiming a lofted shot and offering a catch to Ashleigh Gardner at cover. Kiran Navgire’s flat hit was caught at mid-off, giving Kathryn Bryce a wicket off her second ball as UP Warriorz slumped to 4/3. The situation worsened to 16/4 in the fourth over when Grace Harris was caught off a pull shot. Deepti Sharma managed to find the boundary a couple of times off Bryce, but UP Warriorz could only muster 30 runs in the powerplay, leaving them with a daunting task ahead.

Deepti Sharma Resists as Pressure Mounts on UPW

Shabnam Shakil, bowling her entire quota of four overs in one go, struck on her final delivery to dismiss Shweta Sehrawat. UP Warriorz were reeling at 52/5 after 10 overs, with Deepti Sharma standing as the sole hope for the chasing side, needing 101 runs off the last 10 overs. Deepti managed to find the boundaries and was fortunate to survive a couple of close calls, with Beth Mooney missing chances behind the stumps. However, with Poonam Khemnar struggling to accelerate and Deepti’s strike rate hovering just above 100, the pressure intensified on UP Warriorz, who required something extraordinary. A 14-run over from Ashleigh Gardner, featuring a six from Deepti and a boundary from Khemnar, provided a brief respite. Deepti also reached her fifty off 44 balls, but UP Warriorz needed a significant acceleration to stay in the game.

Deepti and Khemnar’s Valiant Stand in Vain

Despite a century stand between Deepti Sharma and Poonam Khemnar, UP Warriorz fell short in their chase against Gujarat Giants. With the required run rate climbing to 13.4 in the last five overs, Deepti launched an assault with a six off Kathryn Bryce, followed by a boundary off Mannat Kashyap. Khemnar joined the onslaught, hitting Kashyap for a six in the same over. Both batters utilized the DRS successfully to overturn a couple of on-field decisions. However, despite their efforts, the equation came down to 40 runs off 12 balls, with Meghna Singh conceding only three runs in the 18th over. Deepti managed a boundary and four byes off the first three balls of the 19th over bowled by Tanuja Kanwar. Although Deepti struck a six off Meghna in the final over, UP Warriorz fell short by 10 runs, with Deepti unable to score the required 10 runs off the final two deliveries, sealing the victory for Gujarat Giants.

Final Result: Gujarat Giants defeated UP Warriorz by 8 runs.

Gujarat Giants: 152/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 74*, Laura Wolvaardt 43; Sophie Ecclestone 3-38)

UP Warriorz: 144/5 in 20 overs (Deepti Sharma 88*, Poonam Khemnar 36*; Shabnam Shakil 3-11)