Gujarat Giants (GG) finally secured their first win of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 by defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, March 6.
Openers set the stage:
The foundation for this victory was laid by skipper Beth Mooney (85 not out off 51) and Laura Wolvaardt (76 off 45), who stitched together a record partnership of 140 runs. This partnership, the second-highest in the history of the WPL, provided a much-needed boost to the Giants, who had struggled in their previous matches. Both batters were aggressive throughout, scoring boundaries at regular intervals and putting the pressure on the RCB bowlers.
RCB falter despite early promise:
While Smriti Mandhana (16-ball 24) provided a glimpse of hope with some early sixes, RCB’s chase was hampered by frequent wickets. A run-out epidemic added to their woes, with crucial wickets falling at regular intervals. Despite a valiant effort from Georgia Wareham (48 off 22), RCB ultimately fell short of the target by 19 runs, ending their innings at 180/8.
Giants end winless run:
This victory marks a significant turnaround for the Gujarat Giants, who had lost their first four matches of the season. The team’s strong batting performance, anchored by the opening partnership, and their disciplined bowling attack proved too much for RCB to handle.
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Here’s how Twitter reacted:
We were getting starts before, but converting those into big scores is important. Tonight, @LauraWolvaardt and Beth Mooney did exactly that, helping us put up a solid score. @akgardner97 and the rest of the crew raised their game with the ball. Happy to start the Delhi phase with… pic.twitter.com/8Bhm09ah7Q
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) March 6, 2024
Laura Wolvaardt departs for 76 💔#cricket #WPL2024 #GGvRCB #WPL #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/d1yKiRgICB
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) March 6, 2024
What a partnership by Gujrat Giants openers Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt against RCB. They have registered 140 runs for the opening Wicket.
This is the second highest opening partnership in WPL history. Laura added 76 and Captain Mooney added 85 runs.pic.twitter.com/RqjBqOpHii
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) March 6, 2024
What a performance by Georgia Wareham:
With the ball: 4-0-32-1 (When GG scored 199/5).
With the bat: 48(22) when RCB 129/5.
– A Top class all-round performance by Georgia Wareham..!!! pic.twitter.com/3UaV7rzCz7
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) March 6, 2024
Georgia Wareham saved us from huge loss.
Well played Queen.❤️ @GeorgiaWareham #GGvRCBpic.twitter.com/IGjS78JIxa
— SHREYA♥️ (@Here4VK18) March 6, 2024
We’ve gotto admit, this could have gone bad or this could have gone worse, but our girls’ incredible fight till the very end was mighty impressive.
Net Run Rate looks steady, poised for a strong comeback. 👊#PlayBold #SheIsBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #WPL2024 #GGvRCB pic.twitter.com/2mNiJox0Lw
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 6, 2024
Captain fantastic indeed deserves the 🏆. #GujaratGiants #BringItOn #Adani #GGvRCB #TATAWPL pic.twitter.com/hRKsY6UmfY
— Gujarat Giants (@Giant_Cricket) March 6, 2024
85 off 51 and deservingly the POTM
Well played, Beth Mooney 🔥❤️#WPL2024 pic.twitter.com/K24vhoxb97
— Vinesh Bhai (@vlp1994) March 6, 2024
With that 19-run by Gujarat Giants, here’s how the Points Table looks after Match 1⃣3⃣ of #TATAWPL 2024 🙌#GGvRCB pic.twitter.com/W4hOGz9olg
— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 6, 2024
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
