BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s clinical all-rounded performance helped them clinch an important 23-run win in their final game of the home leg over UP Warriorz on Monday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore scored a challenging 198/3 and restricted UP Warriorz to 175/8.
After an impressive display with the bat, the bowlers managed to take wickets at regular intervals which ensured Warriorz ended the night on the losing side.
The opening pair of Alyssa Healy and Kiran Navgire put up a 47-run stand which kept Warriorz on track.
However, the tides turned in favour of RCB after Navgire’s dismissal. Warriorz kept losing wickets at regular intervals but still managed to stay on par with the asking rate.
Healy (55) played a captain’s knock but the constantly increasing asking rate got better off her. Sophie Molineux cashed in and claimed the captain’s wicket.
Deepti Sharma and Poonam Khemnar managed to put up a meaningful 41-run stand but eventually, their efforts went in vain as RCB comfortably emerged victorious.
Earlier in the innings, after UP Warriorz won the toss and sent RCB to bat, skipper Smriti Mandhana led the attack from the front with Sabbhineni Meghana in the powerplay.
The openers brought up a 50-run stand before Meghana (28) lost her wicket to left-arm pacer Anjali Sarvani.
Mandhana continued to derail the UP bowlers’ plans and brought out her very best throughout her knock.
Along with the southpaw, Ellyse Perry was relentless on the other end, hardly allowing the opposition bowlers to take a breather as they mounted a 95-run stand.
Throughout their partnership, the ball travelled to all parts of the field which included the interior of the display car. Perry smashed the window of the car with a rollicking maximum, leaving Healy clueless and looking for answers.
After Mandhana’s (80) and Perry’s (58) dismissals, Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touches with her influential cameo which saw Warriorz conceding nearly 70 runs in the last 5 overs.
The Warriors struggled with their line and length. Their fielding performance didn’t help their cause as multiple catches went down.
Brief Score: Royal Challengers Bangalore 198/3 (Smriti Mandhana 80, Ellyse Perry 58; Sophie Ecclestone 1-22) vs UP Warriorz 175/8 (Alyssa Healy 55, Deepti Sharma 33; Sophie Molineux 2-29). (ANI)