The Capitals led by skipper Meg Lanning not only topped the table with a hat-trick of victories but also became the first team to qualify for the play-offs in Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025. Shafali Verma was awarded the Player of the Match as she guided her side over the line with an unbeaten half-century, her first this season.
The WPL action for the ongoing 3rd edition of the WPL moves to the Ekana Cricket Stadium, in Lucknow for its 3rd phase, where the hosts handed young 21-year-old sensation Georgia Voll gets her maiden WPL cap as soon as she steps in as a replacement for Chamari Athapaththu.
The Warriorz made a couple of changes as Georgia Voll replaced Tahlia McGrath and Gouher Sultana replaced Saima Thakor in the starting 11. The Giants retained the same side that took the field in their previous game.
Mooney magic lights up the WPL in the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow
Chenille Henry provided the early breakthrough by removing Dayalan Hemalatha in the first over of the innings after the Warriorz skipper Deepti Sharma won the toss and opted to field first in their first game at home. Harleen Deol joined wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney at the crease and the duo took their side past the 100-run mark with a massive 101-run partnership for the 2nd wicket.
Sophie Ecclestone cleaned up Harleen Deol (45 off 32 balls), five short of her well-deserved half-century to provide the much-needed 2nd breakthrough for the home side. A struggling skipper Ashleigh Gardner’s scratchy stay at the crease was ended by Kranti Goud for a 3rd breakthrough for her side after a crucial 44-run partnership with the wicket-keeper batter Beth Mooney in the 17th over of the innings.
The Giants ended up with a massive total of 186/5 in their quota of 20 overs courtesy of a late flourish from Deandra Dottin (17 off 8 balls), and Beth Mooney, who was left strangled at the non-striker’s end in the final over of the innings, as a result, stayed unbeaten on 96* (59 balls), just four runs away from becoming the first player to score a century in the WPL.
Sophie Ecclestone (4-0-34-2) was the stand-out bowler for the UP Warriorz, while Chinelle Henry (4-0-31-1), Grace Harris (4-0-36-0), and skipper Deepti Sharma (4-0-37-1) were impressive with the ball for their side.
Kashvee, Kanwer, and Dottin shine with the ball as Giants fold Warriors for 105
Chasing a massive total of 187, Deandra Dottin landed a massive double blow by removing Kiran Navgire and Georgia Voll in quick succession, to push the home side on the back foot early on in a tall run chase. Opening batter Grace Harris (25 off 30 balls) kept losing partners at the other end, before she eventually perished to the left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwer in the 10th over of the run chase in her bid to switch gears and keep up with the required rate.
Chenille Henry joined wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry at the crease and the duo tried their best to revive the run chase with a much-needed 35-run partnership for the 7th wicket before Chinelle Henry (28 off 14 balls) was caught in the deep by Phoebe Litchfield, as Tanuja Kanwer limited the damage by removing the dangerous Caribbean all-rounder. Sophie Ecclestone joined wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry at the crease, and the pair took their side past the 100-run mark, which was another crucial 22-run partnership for the 8th wicket.
Kashvee Gautam returned and picked up the crucial wicket of the wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry (17 off 22 balls) and the Warriorz innings folded for 105 with 17 balls to spare. Sophie Ecclestone (14 off 10 balls) was the only other batter to enter the double digits with the bat for the home side.
Kashvee Gautam (3-0-11-3), Tanuja Kanwer (3.1-0-17-3), and Deandra Dottin (3-0-14-2) destroyed the back of the UP Warriorz batting line up in their own backyard to seal a massive morale boosting 81-run victory, securing their second consecutive victory for the first time in the WPL history. Wicket-keeper Beth Mooney was awarded the Player of the Match for her match-defining innings of 96* off 59 balls with the bat for her side.
A thrashing win has sky-rocketted the Gujarat Giants from a bottom-place side to the 2nd position with 6 points, and the net run rate has entered into the positives (+0.35) from six games in the league stages of the tournament so far.
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