WPL24 : Richa & Asha powers RCB to an epic 2 run win over UPW

 

WPL 2024 was off to a roaring start on day 1 and now on day 2 we had another last ball thriller and this time the 2nd bowling side took the honours . RCB won their first ever home game beating UPW by 2 runs in a thriller .

The game was played till the last ball.  Like a pendulum swinging all the time.  For once it seemed that RCB would win.  UP Warriors went ahead soon after.  In the end, RCB fought back.  Women's IPL kicks off with Smriti Mandhana's team  winning the first match at home.  The two top players  of the team are Richa Ghosh and Sovana Asha.  Bengal's Richa scored a blistering half-century with the bat.  Asha took 5 wickets with the ball.

 Losing the toss, the batting did not start well for RCB.  Two openers Sophie Devine (14) and Smriti Mandhana (13)  did not get big scores .  Smriti  is yet to show her devastating batting in the women's IPL.  Ellis Perry also got out after scoring only 8 runs.  The team lost 3 wickets for 54 runs.  It seemed like last time RCB will face defeat in the first match this time too.

 Two Indians pulled the team at home.  Richa paired with Sabbinani Meghana.  Richa was aggressive from the start while Meghana played some great lofted shots in powerplay .   First, Meghana scored a half-century.  After that she got out for 53 runs.

 After Meghana got out, Richa pulled RCB's innings.  She showed once again why she is so important in Twenty20 cricket.  She scored a fiery half century in just 32 balls.  Richa was bowled by Deepti Sharma for a blistering 62 runs off 37 balls.  She hit 12 fours.  RCB scored 157 runs by losing 6 wickets in 20 overs with the bat. For UPW Gaikwad took 2 wickets 

Chasing the target of 158 runs, UP suffered at the start.  Team captain Alyssa Healy (5) was dismissed in the second over.  The other opener Brinda Dinesh (18)  was playing slower.  Tahila McGrath was forced to play big shots.  They were slowly making runs.  The picture of the game changed in the ninth over.  Spinner Sovana Asha dismissed two batters in the same over.  UP was under pressure especially with McGrath out.

 However, Grace Harris started playing big shots from the beginning, coming down to number four.  She had the highest strike rate in the Women's IPL last time.  She started her work in this match as well and was accompanied by Shweta Sehrawat.  Both of them started to play explosively together.  At one time, it seemed that they would easily win the match.  That's when Asha pushed UP again.  She dismissed Shweta for 31 runs.  Two balls later she bowled Harris for 38 runs.  Kieron Navgire (1) returned out on  the last ball after playing a rash shot.  Asha took 5 wickets with 22 runs in 4 overs.  RCB returned to the match again under the influence of the spinner.

 Deepti came to play after 6 wickets were down.  Meanwhile Poonam Khemner started playing big shots for UP.  Sanjeevan Sajna won Mumbai by hitting a last-ball six on the first day.  Khemner nearly did that for UP.  Another anonymous cricketer explained that there is no shortage of talent in India's women's cricket.  14 runs came from Shreyanka Patil's over in the 18th over.  There the game turned towards UP once again.

 UP needed 16 runs to win from 12 balls.  Khemner kept trying to play big shots.  She got out after scoring 14 runs off 7 balls.  11 runs were needed in the last over.  Sophie Molineux gave only 8 runs in that over.  Despite many efforts, Deepti could not win the match and once again prove.  UP lost the match by 2 runs and Asha was the unanimous choice fir the player of the match.