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Women's Premier League 2024 Cricket

WPL 2024: BAN-W vs UP-W Match Highlights: RCB snap losing run against UP Warriorz to win by 23 runs

Royal Challengers Bangalore ended their losing run with a timely win against UP Warriorz by 23 runs. Smriti Mandhana came back to form with the bat as she scored 80 along with Ellyse Perry's half-century.

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Sarah Andrew
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WPL 2024 (Source-Twitter)

Bangalore fans were happy as they witnessed their team finally snap their losing run on Monday. Smriti Mandhana and her side beat UP Warriorz for a second time this season to breathe new life into their campaign. 

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UP Warriorz put RCB into bat after winning the toss and went in with the same team that had won the last two games. Bangalore made one change as young Shreyanka Patil had to sit out due to injury and Ekta Bisht made her WPL debut for RCB. 

Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry stole the show with the bat to lead the home team to 198 from 20 overs. With the ball, it was an amazing contribution as four bowlers picked two wickets each. The win now means that RCB are 3rd in the table with 4 points from 5 games played so far. 

Key moments of the game – 

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-    RCB openers give a good start 

-    Smriti Mandhana comes into prime form with the bat

-    Ellyse Perry powers RCB to a huge score

-    Alyssa Healy yet again powers UP to a good start

-    RCB bowlers dent UP Warriorz middle-order 

-    Deepti Sharma and Poonam Khemmar fight back ends in vain ‘

-    Final Analysis 

Bangalore openers come up with a blazing start to the innings – 

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Alyssa Healy’s plans to end RCB’s home run in WPL 2024 in defeat suffered a massive blow early on. S. Meghana showed her full array of strokes as she matched her skipper shot for shot in an opening stand worth 51. The normally strict bowling of UP Warriorz went for a toss as the RCB batters played delightful shots to all parts of the ground. 

Smriti Mandhana plays an electric knock – 

After an indifferent start to the season, Smriti Mandhana found the right occasion to come into form. The left-handed batter gave the home fans lots to cheer with her amazing stroke play filled with style and aggression. The 80-run knock came off 50 balls Mandhana took the UP spinners to the cleaners. 

Ellyse Perry's power comes to the fore-- 

After the fall of skipper Mandhana for 80, it was Ellyse Perry who took the mantle of run scoring. Along with young Richa Ghosh the pair added 42 runs from just 18 balls to knock the stuffing out of the UP bowlers. 

Alyssa Healy continues her sizzling form –

UP skipper Alyssa Healy has been one of the most consistent batters during this season of WPL 2024. The right-handed batter scored 55 runs from 38 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes. Till she was batting the visitors fancied their chances of chasing down this mammoth score. The Australian didn’t seem fazed with the task at hand as she hit the RCB bowlers with effortless ease. 

UP Warriorz middle-order crumbles – 

Kiran Navgire was out for 18 to Sophie Devine, this was followed by Georgia Wareham dismissing Chamari Athapaththu for 8. The dangerous Grace Harris was out for 5 when she was caught behind to give Devine her second wicket. Asha Sobhana who had picked a fifer against the same team then got Shweta Sehrawat for 1. 

The biggest turning point of the game arrived when Sophie Molineux had Alyssa Healy stumped by Richa Ghosh. The young wicketkeeper showed the acumen of a veteran as she took off the bails and the umpires sent it upstairs. The fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium celebrated with glee as Healy was given out stumped. 

Deepti Sharma and Poonam Khemmar’s fight ends in vain –

At 113/5 it seemed all was over for the UP side but Deepti Sharma found an ally in Poonam Khemmar. The pair added 41 runs for the 6th wicket in 41 balls to keep the hopes alive for the visitors. Against the run of play, Deepti Sharma went for a huge hit as Asha Sobhana settled under the ball and completed a fine return catch. It was all over as RCB won the game by 23 runs with their bowlers doing a fine job. 

Final Analysis – 

Royal Challengers Bangalore are now third in the table with 6 points from 5 games. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians will play the first game of the Delhi leg starting on Tuesday. The two teams are placed number 1 and two in the table heading into the next phase of the season. Smriti Mandhana was given the player of the match award for her amazing knock of 80 runs. 

Smriti Mandhana WPL Alyssa Healy Ellyse Perry