WPL 2023 UPW vs RCB: Alyssa Healy scored 96 not out off 47 balls as UP Warriorz defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 10 wickets at the Braboune Stadium, Mumbai on Friday. Helped by Alyssa Healy’s knock, UPW chased down the target of 139 runs in 13 overs.
While Healy missed out on a well deserved century, she cracked the highest individual score of the tournament.
WPL 2023 UPW vs RCB in Brief
Earlier, Sophie Eccelestone registered a four-wicket haul and Deepti Sharma scalped three as UPW bundled out RCB for 138 runs. RCB, who started their innings well, lost their last 8 wickets for only 53 runs. Ellyse Perry hit 52 and Sophie Devine scored 36, but rest of the RCB batters failed to score big. RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana had won the toss and opted to bat.
Healy then took the RCB bowlers to the cleaners as her partnership with Devika Vaidya (36*) helped Warriorz cruise past the target in 13 overs. During her unbeaten knock, Healy smashed 18 fours and a six while Devika cracked five boundaries.
Winning Captain Speaks
“Really pleased with our bowlers tonight to keep them under 200. Full credit to the spinners as they held their nerve and took wickets at crucial times. It was spin to win tonight. It was a good batting wicket and the spinners did a fine job. Shweta is only a baby and coming into such a competition is difficult. We watched Vaidya in the recent series (against India) and wondered what she was doing at number 7, she played a fine knock and took the pressure off me. We just set the platform early and by the timeout we needed run a ball, we didn’t want to drag it too long.”
‘I’ll take the blame’ – Smriti Mandhana
I think in the last four games, it has been happening. We start well and we lose a cluster of wickets. I will take the blame as well. As a top order batter, we need to put up runs on the board for the bowlers to defend. (On plans in middle overs) We spoke about it before this match that we will try to take 7-8 runs per over but it did not work out today. As top-order batters, we need to bat well and put up a good total to defend. We don’t have injuries.
We are trying to get a balanced team that can win us a game. I have tried to speak to almost all the players, pep them up and I have to keep doing it. Last week has been tough. Lots to reflect and lots to work on. (On her support) A lot of people have reached out to me and as an international cricketer, we have faced these situations before. I have my family around me always but I always believe that you have to sit by yourself and rectify your mistakes.
It was Bangalore’s fourth straight defeat of the season as they now stare at early elimination from the tournament.
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