<p>Vadodara: Former champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hammered UP Warriorz by eight wickets to enter the WPL final and virtually knock the opposition out of the playoff race here on Thursday.</p><p>Nadine de Klerk's superb 4/22 and Grace Harris' 2/22 powered a spirited RCB comeback with the ball as UP Warriorz squandered a blazing start to settle for a below-par 143 for eight after Smriti Mandhana opted to field.</p><p>Harris then turned on the heat with the bat, smashing a blistering 75 off 37 balls as RCB stormed home with 41 balls to spare.</p><p>The comprehensive win took RCB to 12 points, sealing their place in the final and helping them finish atop the five-team standings.</p><p>For UP Warriorz, the defeat left their campaign hanging by a thread, with the side languishing at the bottom with four points and the worst net run-rate despite a game in hand.</p><p>Harris set the tone early, taking charge of Kranti Gaud in the opening overs before tearing into her again in the third, striking five boundaries.</p><p>She brought up her fifty off just 28 balls by lofting Asha Sobhana over long-on.</p>.RCB opt to bowl against UP Warriorz in WPL.<p>Dealing almost in boundaries, Harris hammered 13 fours and two sixes while adding 108 runs with skipper Mandhana, who complemented her with a sublime 26-ball fifty.</p><p>Harris was eventually bowled by Shikha Pandey, failing to read an incoming cross-seam delivery, but by then only 36 runs were required with more than 10 overs remaining.</p><p>Earlier, promoted opener Deepti Sharma struck her first half-century of the season with a fluent 55 off 43 balls (6x4, 1x6).</p><p>Deepti and Meg Lanning (41) stitched together a 72-run opening stand in 49 balls -- their best of the season -- to give UPW a flying start, but the innings unravelled in the middle overs as De Klerk and Harris applied the brakes.</p><p>From 74 for no loss in eight overs, UPW slipped to 103 for 4 in 13.2 overs. De Klerk triggered the collapse by dismissing Lanning before trapping Amy Jones (1) lbw with a cross-seam delivery.</p><p>Harris then removed Harleen Deol (14) and Chloe Tryon (6) in successive overs as RCB seized complete control.</p>
<p>Vadodara: Former champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hammered UP Warriorz by eight wickets to enter the WPL final and virtually knock the opposition out of the playoff race here on Thursday.</p><p>Nadine de Klerk's superb 4/22 and Grace Harris' 2/22 powered a spirited RCB comeback with the ball as UP Warriorz squandered a blazing start to settle for a below-par 143 for eight after Smriti Mandhana opted to field.</p><p>Harris then turned on the heat with the bat, smashing a blistering 75 off 37 balls as RCB stormed home with 41 balls to spare.</p><p>The comprehensive win took RCB to 12 points, sealing their place in the final and helping them finish atop the five-team standings.</p><p>For UP Warriorz, the defeat left their campaign hanging by a thread, with the side languishing at the bottom with four points and the worst net run-rate despite a game in hand.</p><p>Harris set the tone early, taking charge of Kranti Gaud in the opening overs before tearing into her again in the third, striking five boundaries.</p><p>She brought up her fifty off just 28 balls by lofting Asha Sobhana over long-on.</p>.RCB opt to bowl against UP Warriorz in WPL.<p>Dealing almost in boundaries, Harris hammered 13 fours and two sixes while adding 108 runs with skipper Mandhana, who complemented her with a sublime 26-ball fifty.</p><p>Harris was eventually bowled by Shikha Pandey, failing to read an incoming cross-seam delivery, but by then only 36 runs were required with more than 10 overs remaining.</p><p>Earlier, promoted opener Deepti Sharma struck her first half-century of the season with a fluent 55 off 43 balls (6x4, 1x6).</p><p>Deepti and Meg Lanning (41) stitched together a 72-run opening stand in 49 balls -- their best of the season -- to give UPW a flying start, but the innings unravelled in the middle overs as De Klerk and Harris applied the brakes.</p><p>From 74 for no loss in eight overs, UPW slipped to 103 for 4 in 13.2 overs. De Klerk triggered the collapse by dismissing Lanning before trapping Amy Jones (1) lbw with a cross-seam delivery.</p><p>Harris then removed Harleen Deol (14) and Chloe Tryon (6) in successive overs as RCB seized complete control.</p>