With an 11-run victory over the reigning champions Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Giants finally broke their curse and secured a spot in the Women’s Premier League Eliminator in Vadodara on Friday. Georgia Wareham and captain Ashleigh Gardner excelled with bat and ball.
After choosing to bat, Gujarat was in a mid-innings slump, but Gardner’s counterpunching 46 off 28 balls and Wareham’s quick 44 from 26 put together a vital 71-run partnership that lifted them to a competitive 167 for 4.
Despite captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s heroic unbroken 82 off 48 balls (8×4, 4×6), the Mumbai Indians were restricted to 156/7 after failing to chase 168 on a difficult wicket in a high-pressure match.
After eight straight losses, it was Gujarat’s first victory over the defending champions, and it came at the perfect moment to guarantee their spot in Tuesday’s Eliminator.
The last league game between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz on Sunday will determine Mumbai’s fate. Delhi’s victory will guarantee their spot in the Eliminator, while Mumbai could advance if UP Warriorz, who are now in last place, win.
Although they still have a chance, UPW, who have the lowest net run rate of -1.146, would require a huge victory to surpass MI’s run rate of 0.146. With six victories from eight games, Royal Challengers Bengaluru led the five-team standings and have secured a spot in the final.
Mumbai had a bad start as Sophie Devine (2/23) removed Nat Sciver-Brunt (2) with a brilliant catch close to the deep square-leg boundary after cleaning up Hayley Matthews (6) with a delivery that stayed low in her opening over. Kashvee Gautam was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the over by the seamer, despite a brief counterattack by Sajeevan Sajana (26), who lofted her over deep midwicket and smashed her through point.
In order to further hinder Mumbai, Wareham then tightened the screws in the middle overs, returning scores of 2/26 and dismissing Amelia Kerr (20) and Sanskriti Gupta (0). In three overs, Gardner also claimed one wicket (1/26).
Mumbai failed despite needing 37 runs from the last two overs, with Harmanpreet well-positioned and reaching her third fifty of the year. They lost to Gujarat for the first time ever despite the captain hitting Gardner for two sixes in the final over.
When Amelia Kerr (2/26) and Shabnim Ismail (1/29) bowled with discipline, the run-rate dropped sharply, and the Giants appeared to be in trouble after losing two set batters, Anushka Sharma (33) and Sophie Devine (25), for the addition of just two runs.
Ashleigh, the captain, turned the tide decisively in the 16th over, smashing Hayley Matthews for 19 runs as momentum began to wane. She blasted three straight boundaries after starting with a strong hit over deep midwicket. After that, she went after Shabnim, hitting four boundaries in a 17-run over. After giving up just 12 runs in her opening three overs, Shabnim’s typically economical spell was ruined by the assault.
New Zealand leg-spinner Kerr had the final say, outfoxing the GG captain in flight with a fuller ball that resulted in a sharp stumping. Gardner hit seven fours and a six in her rapid knock as GG racked up 61 runs off the last five overs.
