WPL 2023: Ashleigh Gardner's all-round display powers GG to 11-run conquest over DC, keeps playoff hopes alive
WPL 2023: The race for the playoffs is still on, as Gujarat Giants came up with a prolific performance to tame Delhi Capitals by 11 runs, thanks to the all-round show by Ashleigh Gardner.
FollowAshleigh Gardner justified her top billing among the overseas recruits with a superb all-round performance that ensured a hard-fought 11-run victory for Gujarat Giants over Delhi Capitals in a 2023 Women's Premier League (WPL) match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. After setting a below-par target of 148 for DC to win, Gujarat fought back well with an inspired show with the ball and in the field to bowl the second-placed team out for 136 in 18.4 overs on a breezy night in Mumbai.
Gardner first scored 51 off 33 balls with the bat and then took 2/19 in 3.4 overs under pressure to ease the road to victory for Giants, who have now leapfrogged Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) once again to stay fourth in the five-team table. While DC's points tally remains at eight from six games, GG now has four points from six games.
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The victory also ensured that Giants remained in contention for a place in the playoffs. Arundhati Reddy (25) and Shikha Pandey (8 not out) kept Delhi's hopes alive till late in the game with their 35-run ninth-wicket stand. Still, Gujarat managed to pull off a favourable result, with Kim Garth (4-0-18-2) and Gardner producing impressive spells.
Reddy and Pandey got together when Delhi was 48 runs away from winning with more than five overs left and batted sensibly without any risk, but Garth eventually ended their association. Reddy, who struck four fours in her 17-ball 25, played one shot too many as she was caught at cover when Delhi needed another 13 to win, and Gardner took the final wicket of Yadav to seal the game.
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Delhi made a shaky start losing dashing batter Shafali Verma (8) and Meg Lanning (18) inside the Powerplay, and Alice Capsey, who was run out after a promising 11-ball 22 with two fours and as many sixes. While left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar cleaned up Shafali, Lanning was guilty of playing across the line and was pinned leg-before the wickets off GG captain Sneh Rana.
Capsey was the victim of a poor call for a single with Jemimah Rodrigues when there was none, as she was run out even before she could put her bat down on the ground to drag it in. Earlier in the contest's first half, half-centuries from Beth Mooney's replacement Laura Wolvaardt (57) and Gardner (51 not out) took GG to a total of 147/4 in its20 overs after it had crawled to an ordinary 53/2 halfway through.
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Harleen Deol once again got a start but could not convert it into a big score, perishing for a 33-ball 31 with four fours, but the pair of Wolvaardt and Gardner did well to save the blushes for the Gujarat side. The overseas duo of South African Wolvaardt and Australian Gardner added 81 runs for the third wicket from just 53 balls to help Gujarat recover from a slow start.
The right-handed Wolvaardt struggled for timing and placement in an innings of two halves, with the other highlighting her ruthless best. Wolvaardt managed six fours and a six to make 57 from 45 balls and was also involved in a slow but steady stand of 49 runs with Deol for the second wicket.
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The contest on Thursday night was the second meeting between the Capitals and the Giants in the inaugural edition of the WPL. In their earlier clash, Delhi had recorded a massive 10-wicket win a few nights ago when they knocked off a target of little over 100 within eight overs at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
(With inputs from PTI)
