Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled off a thrilling two-run win against UP Warriorz in the second match of the Women’s Premier League 2024 on Saturday. RCB recorded a challenging 157/6 while batting first and then a five-wicket haul from spinner Sobhana Asha restricted Warriorz to 155/7.
Richa Ghosh and new signing Sabbhineni Meghana recorded brilliant fifties earlier to help Bangalore post a challenging total. UP Warriorz struggled for a start but Grace Haris and Swheta Sehrawat kept the game alive with incredible hitting in the middle overs.
But Sobhana produced the best-ever bowling figures for Royal Challengers Bangalore with 5/22, taking match-defining three wickets in the 17th over. Debutant Sophie Molineux successfully defended 11 runs in the last over to charge RCB to a deserving win.
After a thrilling last-ball drama in the WPL 2024 opener on Friday, the fans witnessed another last-ball clash at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Alyssa Healy won the toss and elected to bowl first with Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar and Saima Thakor making their debuts for UPW. Bangalore also handed first caps to new signings Simran Bahadur, Georgia Wareham, Sabbineni Meghana and Sophie Molineux, surprisingly leaving out English pacer Kate Cross.
Molineux delivered early by bowling out Healy in the second over of the game. Dinesh Vrinda and Tahlia McGrath added 38 runs for the second wicket but struggled to maintain a positive run rate. Asha dismissed both batters in the ninth over but UP Warriorz made an impressive comeback through a 77-run stand between Sehrawat and Grace for the fourth wicket.
But Asha delivered three big wickets in the 17th over to completely shift the momentum in favour of Royal Challengers Bangalore. Asha bagged the Player of the Matcha ward for her 5/22 figures, the best bowling performance by an Indian bowler in WPL history.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Playing XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Sabbhineni Meghana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Shreyanka Patil, Simran Bahadur, Sobhana Asha, Renuka Thakur Singh
UP Warriorz Playing XI: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Vrinda Dinesh, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Shweta Sehrawat, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor