Published 21:34 IST, February 27th 2024

WPL 2024: Disciplined RCB bowlers restrict Giants to meagre 107/7

Royal Challengers captain Smriti Mandhana opted to field and her bowlers, particularly pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) and left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux (3/25), justified her call.

Follow: Google News Icon
  • share
शोभना आशा | Image: x/wpl
Advertisement

Gujarat Giants' batting unit never found higher gears against a set of disciplined Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers, settling for a lowly total of 107 for seven in their Women’s Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Royal Challengers captain Smriti Mandhana opted to field and her bowlers, particularly pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) and left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux (3/25), justified her call.

Advertisement

There was a certain tackiness on the pitch alright, but the RCB bowlers also hit the right length to keep the Giants batters on a tight leash.

The dismissal of Giants’ skipper Beth Mooney (8) was a perfect example for this.

Advertisement

Mooney had struck Renuka for two boundaries earlier, and she immediately changed the line coming around the wicket.

She was rewarded with the big wicket when Mooney failed to tackle a delivery that shaped in to beat her defensive prod.

Advertisement

Renuka soon ousted Phoebe Litchfield too when the Aussie batter failed to drag her feet back inside the crease before Richa Ghosh, standing up, completed her stumping.

Renuka bowled her full quota of four overs on the trot and returned with handsome numbers of 4-0-14-2.

Advertisement

From that point, the Giants kept on losing wickets, including generally quick scorers like Ashleigh Gardner, and it thwarted their attempts to give some steam to the innings.

Dayalan Hemalatha’s unbeaten 31 off 25 balls helped them go past the 100-run mark.

Advertisement

They ended the first 10 overs at 44 for two, and the back 10 too did not prove much different as RCB bowlers kept chipping away without conceding too many runs.

That the Giants managed a total of just 10 fours and two sixes in their entire innings underlined their struggles. 

21:34 IST, February 27th 2024