Women’s Premier League: RCB suffer fourth straight loss

Warriors take the RCB for a spin before Healy, Vaidya make it an open and shut case

NEW DELHI | Updated: 11 March, 2023 2:40 am IST

Alyssa Healy led from the front (Photo Couresy Twitter @wplt20)

When the going gets tough, well, for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), it is tough to get going as they suffered their fourth successive loss in the Women’s Premier League on Friday, March 10.

RCB were virtually out of contention for the knockouts as they once struggled with the bat, and later with the ball, as they suffered a 10-wicket loss against the UP Warriorz.

While skipper Smriti Mandhana continued to struggle with the bat, fellow openers Sophie Devine (36, 24b, 5×4, 1×6) and Elysse Perry (52, 39b, 6×4, 1×6) raised hope for a turnaround in fortune with a 40-run partnership.

That partnership was the only saving grace for a struggling RCB – where the curse of RCB seems to have affected Mandhana just like it affected Virat Kohli.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the lot with four wickets, while off-spinner Deepti Sharma added three wickets. The duo combined to pick seven wickets, conceding just 39 runs in 7.3 overs.

Offie Rajaswari Gayakwad picked the all-important wicket of Mandhana as Warriorz spinners took RCB to the cleaners.
RCB’s struggle can also be judged by the fact that from 73 for one, it was soon 98 for 4 before they lost the last five wickets for just 13 runs. To make matters worse, they suffered two runouts – including one that included England skipper Heather Knight.

While RCB were left to rue another disappointing performance from the star-studded batting, their bowling too left a lot desired.

Skipper Alyssa Healy tore apart the rival bowling with a 47-ball 96*, the tournament’s highest score, as she and fellow opener Devika Vaidya virtually made it an open-and-shut case.

While Healy slammed an incredible 18 fours and a six for her unbeaten 96, Vaidya dropped anchor for her unbeaten 31 as Warriorz reached the target in 13 overs.

BRIEF SCORE: UP Warriorz 139/0 (Alyssa Healy 96*) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 138 (Ellyse Perry 52; Sophie Ecclestone 4/18) by 10 wickets