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Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner displayed strong batting as the team put on a massive 207 against UP Warriroz in the second match of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 on Saturday.
Having been asked to bat first, Gujarat saw a good start. Sophie Devine slammed 14 runs in the second over against UPW speedster Shikha Pandey. After the first four overs, the Giants were 40/0. However, Warriorz got the much-needed breakthrough as veteran spinner Sophie Ecclestone clean bowled Beth Mooney (13 off 12 balls, including one four) during the fifth over. In the very next over, pacer Pandey dismissed Sophie Devine for 38 off 20 balls. Devine's innings included five fours and two sixes. Gujarat reached 56/2 at the end of six overs. Giants also registered their third-best score in the power play in WPL. Captain Gardner and Anushka Sharma stabilised the innings as the Giants reached 90/2 in 10 overs. During the 13th over, speedster Kranti Gaud conceded 18 runs as Garnder and Sharma slammed boundaries. In the very next over, Anushka slammed two fours, and Gardner hit two sixes against leg-spinner Asha Sobhana with Gujarat reaching 139/2 in 14 overs. Gardner reached her sixth WPL fifty during the third ball of the 15th over as Giants crossed the 150-run mark. Gardner also became the batter with the most fifty-plus scores for Gujarat Giants, surpassing Beth Mooney (5), and Laura Wolvaardt (3). During the 16th over, Deandra Dottin broke the 100-run stand after she dismissed Anushka for 44 runs. She had made the runs from 30 balls with help of seven fours. Anushka Sharma's 44 is the highest by a Gujarat Giants batter on WPL debut. The previous highest was Dani Gibson's 34 runs last year. In the very next over, Ecclestone removed captain Garnder, who smashed 65 off 41 balls and the innings included six fours and three sixes. Towards the end, Bharti Fulmali's unbeaten 14 and Georgia Wareham's blistering unbeaten knock of 27 helped Gujarat post a mammoth 207/4 on the board. Sophie Ecclestone (2/32), Deandra Dottin (1/47) and Shikha Pandey (1/29) were among the wicket-takers. GG: 207/4 (Ashleigh Gardner 65, Anushka Sharma 44, Sophie Ecclestone 2/32) vs UPW. (ANI)
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