Mumbai: UP Warriorz spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma gave away very little while striking at regular intervals to bowl out Royal Challengers Bangalore for 138 in the Women's Premier League here on Friday.
This was after Ellyse Perry top-scored for RCB with a blazing 39-ball 52. Seasoned English left-arm spinner Ecclestone finished with incredible figures of 4/13 in her full quota of four overs, while Deepti ended with 3/26. Sophie Devine started the RCB innings by hitting Grace Harris for a four and a six off the match's second and third deliveries, collecting 13 runs in the opening over at the Brabourne Stadium.
The maximum was a super shot as Devine, seeing the ball in the slot, positioned herself perfectly and smoked it over the deep mid wicket boundary. Sharing the new ball with Grace, left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani ran into an in-form Devine as the versatile New Zealander scored two fours off the India bowler. With RCB going very well at 29 for no loss after three overs, UP Warriorz skipper Alyssa Healy effected a bowling change and brought on Rajeshwari Gayakwad into the attack, and it paid dividends straightaway as the bowler sent back RCB captain Smriti Mandhana (4) with her first ball.
It was a length delivery outside off stump, and Mandhana failed to time it and ended up giving an easy catch to Sarvani at extra cover, continuing her below-par outing in the inaugural WPL. Given the situation, it was an excellent first over from Rajeshwari as she conceded just one run while taking the big wicket of Mandhana.
Australian star Ellyse Perry wasted little time in finding her groove, scoring two boundaries off Sarvani to maintain RCB's fine run rate. Then there was a four -- which came off a mishit -- and a six straight down the ground against Rajeshwari's bowling after beautifully getting to the pitch of the ball. Despite losing Mandhana, RCB racked up 54 runs in the six powerplay overs.
Ecclestone bowled an economical seventh over before Perry struck two successive fours off experienced off-spinning all-rounder Deepti Sharma. Ecclestone was rewarded for her fine bowling as she bowled Devine, who struck five fours and a six in her 24-ball 36. Perry continued with her attacking ways before Deepti took her out, much to the UP team's relief. RCB lost the plot after that, as the duo of Deepti and Ecclestone kept taking wickets regularly. (PTI)
