Two days into the 2nd edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), early signs promise more competitive cricket to come following a blockbuster start with two final-ball thrillers. While Sajana Sajeevan stole the headlines in the curtain-raiser, Sobhana Asha was the star on Saturday night with a fifer, propelling the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to victory in a nail-biting encounter against UP Warriorz.
Sobhana is the first Indian to produce a WPL 5-fer and the 4th, joining Marizanne Kapp, Tara Norris, and Kim Garth in this elite list.
Marizanne Kapp’s 5/15 vs. Gujarat Giants
Marianne Kapp delivered a standout performance for her team with the ball in a crucial match against the Gujarat Giants following a tough loss against Mumbai. She was outstanding, claiming an impressive 5-wicket haul in just 4 overs for 15 runs. Kapp’s precise bowling and ability to strike early with the new ball played a pivotal role in limiting the opposition to fewer runs. She scalped the whole top order dismissing Sabbhineni Meghana, Laura Wolvaardt, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, and Sushma Verma. Having dismissed all crucial batters, she turned the match in her team’s favor upfront.
Sobhana Asha’s 5/22 vs. UP Warriorz
In their season opener against the UP Warriorz in a closely contest game, Sobhana Asha delivered a standout performance for her team with the ball, she was imposing with the ball. Asha’s precise bowling and ability to strike in the middle overs played a pivotal role in limiting the opposition to chase down the target. In her spell of 4 overs, she took 5 wickets giving only 22 runs, and dismissed the likes of Vrinda Dinesh, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Shweta Sehrawat, and Kiran Navgire. Completing the five-fa, she became the 1st Indian to do so in WPL.
Tara Norris’ 5/29 vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore Women
Tara Norris, the 1st associate nation player to play in the WPL had an outstanding performance on debut taking 5 wickets in her spell of 4 overs giving only 29 runs. She broke the back of Challengers, dismissing Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh, Heather Knight, and Kanika Ahuja, and made the target of 208 even more difficult and nearly impossible for the RCB batters.
Kim Garth’s 5/36 vs. UP Warriorz
Kim Garth was at her absolute best up front against the UP Warriorz while defending a target of 170, scalping 3 early wickets with the ball in a single over in the powerplay. She went on to take 5 wickets at the end of her spell of 4 overs giving 36 runs where she was able to run through the UP Warriorz top order dismissing Alyssa Healy, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Simran Shaikh. However, it was quite unfortunate for her to end on the losing side courtesy of a great knock by Grace Harris.