WPL: Gardner fifty seals Gujarat Giants' dominant win over RCB

Bengaluru: Ashleigh Gardner led from the front with a blazing 58 off 31 balls as bottom-placed Gujarat Giants snapped their losing streak with a dominant six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL here on Thursday.

Opting to bowl, GG put on a disciplined bowling display, with Deandra Dottin (2/31) and Tanuja Kanwar (2/16) restricting RCB to a below-par 125/7. The offspin allrounder Gardner also chipped in with 1/22 in a tidy spell.

GG took just 16.3 overs to seal victory, with Gardner smashing three sixes and six fours in her third fifty of the tournament.

She raced to her half-century in just 28 balls, bringing it up in style with back-to-back sixes—a slog-sweep over long-on followed by a powerful hit over deep midwicket.

GG's top order faltered, with Beth Mooney (17), Dayalan Hemalatha (11), and Harleen Deol (5) falling cheaply, but Gardner took charge.

She broke free in Prema Rawat’s over, plundering 19 runs -- pulling one to fine leg, driving another through cover, and finishing with a six over deep square leg.

There was no stopping GG from there as they cruised to their second win of the season, their last coming against UP Warriorz in Vadodara.

Her Australian teammate Phoebe Litchfield (30 off 21 balls; 3x4, 1x6) gave a fine support with the duo stitching a match-winning 51-run fourth-wicket stand off 36 deliveries.

This was a third loss on the trot for defending champions RCB. The win also opened up the table, keeping GG's slim playoff hopes alive.

While Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals lead the table with six points each, three teams -- RCB, UP Warriorz and GG -- are now on four points each, occupying the next three spots.

"I don't think we batted well in the powerplay, including myself. We tried too hard and didn't read the conditions well. We tried to get 170-180 but the wicket was a lot different than the other games," rued RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana.

Desperate for a win, the bottom-placed Giants who have just one victory, delivered with the ball, with pace spearhead Deandra (2/31) and left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar (2/16) giving outstanding performance.

Gardner (1/22) and Kashvee Gautam (1/17) provided solid support.

Opting to bowl, GG struck early, reducing RCB to 25/3 inside the powerplay.

Smriti (10 off 20), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (4 off 4), and in-form Ellyse Perry (0 off 4) fell cheaply. Perry had scored three fifties in her last four innings, including two 80-plus knocks.

Kanika Ahuja (33 off 28; 1x4, 2x6) and Ragvi Bist (22 off 19; 1x4, 1x6) counter-attacked, adding 48 off 37 balls.

Kanika dominated leg-spinner Priya Mishra, smashing back-to-back boundaries, including a six, as her over went for 18 runs.

Bist looked threatening, launching Meghna Singh’s off-cutter over long-on for a six, but GG struck back quickly, removing both batters within five runs.

Bist was run out immediately after a dropped catch, while Kanika miscued a big hit, allowing Kanwar to sprint back for a superb diving catch off her own bowling.

Georgia Wareham (20 not out; 21 balls) and Richa Ghosh (9 off 10) attempted to rebuild with a 21-run stand, but Kashvee's yorker cleaned up Ghosh, keeping GG in control. PTI TAP AM TAP AM AM