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The opening spell by Shabnam Shakil outpowered a valiant half-century from all-rounder Deepti Sharma and her partnership with Poonam Khemnar as Gujarat Giants beat UP Warriorz by eight runs in their Women's Premier League (WPL) match at Delhi on Monday.
GG is still at the bottom, though they have their second win in seven matches and four points now. UPW is at fourth spot with three wins and five losses, with a total of six points. Playoffs qualification has become a little tricky for UPW, who will need Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to lose their final league stage game by a big margin. In the chase of 153, pacer Shabnam Shakil started off by removing skipper Alyssa Healy (4) and Chamari Athapaththu (0), after they were caught by Mannat Kashyap and Ashleigh Gardner respectively. UPW was 4/2 after the first over. Mannat took yet another fine catch as Kathryn Bryce removed Kiran Navgire for a duck, reducing UPW to 4/3 in 1.2 overs. Gujarat bowlers were not giving UPW a chance to breathe as Grace Harris was dismissed by Gardner for just one run, and Bharati Fulmali took a fine catch at short leg. UPW sunk to 16/4 in 3.4 overs. Deepti Sharma was at the other end watching wickets fall helplessly. UPW somehow managed to cross the first six overs of the powerplay without any further loss of wickets at 30/4, with Deepti (20*) and Shweta (4*) unbeaten. Shabnam took her third wicket, cleaning up Shweta's stumps for eight runs. Half of UPW was inside the pavilion for 35 runs in seven overs. Deepti was joined by Poonam Khemnar at the crease. UPW reached the 50-run mark in 9.3 overs. Halfway through in ten overs, UPW was at 52/5, with Deepti (30*) and Poonam (8*) unbeaten, needing 101 to win in the second half. Slowly, but steadily, UPW started rebuilding, with Deepti and Poonam taking calculated risks. A 50 partnership was up in 47 balls. Deepti also reached her third successive WPL fifty in 44 balls, with seven fours and a six. The vice-captain was leading the charge for UP Warriorz. At the end of 15 overs, UPW was 86/5, with Deepti (54*) and Poonam (18*) unbeaten. They still needed 67 in the final five overs. With the help of a powerful cut shot by Deepti on a Mannat delivery, UPW breached the 100-run mark in 16.2 overs. The equation eventually came down to 43 runs needed in 18 balls. Meghna's 18th over gave away only three runs, bringing down equation only slightly to 40 in 12 balls. Poonam and Deepti scored some big runs in the 19th over by Tanuja Kanwar, including three fours, bringing down the deficit to 26 runs in the final over. Deepti Sharma's two sixes, runs from extras kept UPW in the reckoning, needing 10 in the final two balls. However, a single on the second last ball ended all the aspirations of a win and UPW finished at 144/5 in 20 overs, with Deepti unbeaten at 88 in 60 balls, with nine fours and four sixes and Poonam at 36* in 36 balls, with three fours and a six. Shabnam (3/11) was the pick of the bowlers for GG, while Bryce and Gardner took one wicket each in this eight-run win. Earlier, despite a commendable half-century by skipper Beth Mooney and an explosive start by Laura Woolvardt, UP Warriorz spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma managed to apply breaks on Gujarat Giants' batting, reducing them to 152/8 in their Women's Premier League (WPL) season two match at Delhi on Monday. Opting to bat first, openers Laura Woolvadart and skipper Beth Mooney put GG to a fine start. In the 4th over bowled by Saima Thakor, Laura hit the young pacer for three boundaries. The South African star continued smashing Grace Harris and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, bringing up the 50-run mark in 5.3 overs. At the end of six overs, GG was 53/0, with Laura (40*) and Beth (10*) unbeaten. Sophie Ecclestone got the breakthrough for UPW, dismissing Laura for 43 in 30 balls, with eight fours and a six. GG was 60/1 in 7.5 overs. Chamari Athapaththu and Deepti Sharma struck in quick succession for UPW, getting Dayalan Hemlatha (0) and Phoebe Litchfield (4), reducing GG to 73/3 in 10.5 overs. Ashleigh Gardner joined Mooney. Smashing Rajeshwari Gayakwad for a huge six to reach the 100-run mark in 13.1 overs. Gayakwad soon got her second wicket as she removed Gardner for 15 in 10 balls after she was caught by Deepti Sharma at deep backward square. GG was 102/4 in 14 overs. GG was 105/5 in 15 overs, with Bharti Fulmali (1*) joining Mooney (39*). UP bowlers managed to create a huge amount of pressure over GG batters with these quick wickets, slowing down the run rate. Spinners were all over the GG batting line-up, as Ecclestone removed Kathryn Bryce (11) and Tanuja Kanwar (1) while Deepti removed Fulmali for just one. GG was 120/7 in 18 overs. Smashing Deepti for two boundaries, Mooney brought up her half-century, her third in the tournament in 42 balls, with five fours and a six. Shabnam Shakil was run out for zero. Mooney hit boundaries on the final two balls, ending the innings at 152/8, with Mooney (74* in 52 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Meghna Singh (0*) unbeaten. Ecclestone (3/38) and Deepti (2/22) dominated the Gujarat batting with their spin bowling. Rajeshwari and Chamari got a wicket each. (ANI)
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