Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 27 : Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner delivered a stellar all-round performance to guide her team to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) on Thursday. This win marked Gujarat's second triumph in the tournament as they successfully chased down a target of 126 in just 16.3 overs.
After winning the toss, Gujarat Giants opted to field first, a decision that paid off immediately as RCB found themselves in early trouble. The Bengaluru-based franchise lost three wickets inside the first 25 runs, with England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge being the first to depart for just 4 runs, dismissed by Deandra Dottin.
Australia's Ellyse Perry fell for a duck, bowled by Gardner, while RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana struggled throughout her 10-run knock before being dismissed by Tanuja Kanwar.
Despite their shaky start, Kanika Ahuja played a fighting knock and emerged as the top scorer for RCB. However, wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. Raghvi Bist (22) and Richa Ghosh (9) couldn't convert their starts, while Georgia Wareham provided some resistance with a crucial 20 off 21 deliveries.
RCB eventually reached 125/7 in their 20 overs. Gujarat's bowling unit was effective, with Deandra Dottin and Tanuja Kanwar claiming two wickets each, while Gardner and Kashvee Gautam chipped in with one wicket apiece.
In response, Gujarat Giants started cautiously but lost Dayalan Hemalatha early for 11. Wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney followed soon after, while Harleen Deol fell to Georgia Wareham for just 5, leaving Gujarat at 66/3.
However, captain Ashleigh Gardner anchored the chase with a brilliant 58 off just 31 balls, smashing six boundaries and three sixes. She formed a match-winning 51-run partnership with Phoebe Litchfield, taking the game away from RCB.
Gardner was eventually dismissed in the 15.4th over when Gujarat needed just nine more runs to seal the win. Litchfield, who remained unbeaten on 30, ensured there were no late hiccups as the Giants reached the target in 16.3 overs.
For RCB, Georgia Wareham and Renuka Singh picked up two wickets each, but their efforts were not enough to prevent Gujarat's dominant chase.
With her explosive batting and a crucial wicket, Ashleigh Gardner was named 'Player of the Match', further cementing her reputation as a top all-rounder in the WPL.