After four losses, numerous changes and finally having a combination to stick with, the Gujarat Giants got off the mark in the second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first outing in Delhi. Contrary to the trend, Giants skipper Beth Mooney won the toss and chose to bat first and the move paid off for the side as the two openers, the captain herself and Laura Wolvaardt laid the foundation for the win with a 140-run opening stand. The Giants posted a massive total of 199 runs on the board, which was eventually enough for them to get their first points on the board.
Mooney and Wolvaardt didn't let the RCB bowlers come into the game for even a second during their partnership that lasted 13 overs. The start was a bit wayward from the RCB bowlers, which didn't help their cause and Wolvaardt was off the blocks straightaway. Giants' batting has been criticised for taking too much time initially and Wolvaardt and Mooney seemed to have taken that in their stride and thankfully for the Women in Orange, it came off on Wednesday night in the capital.
The 50-run stand came up in just 4.3 overs and the duo just didn't stop. RCB and skipper Smriti Mandhana had to play the waiting game as she tried everything from swing bowler to medium pacer to left-arm spinner and a leg-spinner but nothing worked for the Bengaluru side. Both Mooney and Wolvaardt brought up their respective fifties and the partnership of 50 soon turned into a hundred and was closing in towards 150 before a run-out finally let the RCB breathe a sigh of relief.
Mooney, however, continued despite the lack of support from the other end to finish unbeaten on 85 and Giants ended up getting the fifth-highest team total following the second-highest opening partnership in the competition history. Chasing 200 was always going to be tough and losing captain Smriti Mandhana inside the powerplay didn't help RCB's cause, especially when she has been in smashing form in the ongoing season of the WPL.
The likes of Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh and Georgia Wareham, in particular, with her cameo of 48 off 22 kept RCB in the game but the required run rate kept rising all the time and in the end, became a bridge too far for the Smriti Mandhana-led side to cross.
RCB have lost three games now out of six played and will hope to win both their remaining games to stand a chance of qualifying into the top three. Giants, on the other hand, have to win all their remaining games.
