WPL Match 8, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs UP Warriorz - Talking Points and Who Said What?

Royal Challengers Bangalore's miserable campaign continued in the ongoing Women’s Premier League as they were handed another hammering defeat by UP Warriorz on Friday, March 10 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. It was their fourth consecutive loss in the tournament making them the only team to remain winless.

The match started on a positive note for RCB as their captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bat first on the belter of a pitch at the Brabourne Stadium. However, their batting once again disappointed as they were bundled out for just 138 in 19.3 overs.

In reply, the UP openers made a complete mockery of RCB’s total and chased down their target in just 13 overs with 10 wickets in hand. As a result, RCB maintained their last position in the points table with 0 wins in four matches with a net run rate of -2.648. Let's take a look at the talking points from the match-

Smriti Mandhana fails to fire, again

Smriti Mandhana couldn’t support her opening partner Sophie Devine as she fell trying to get a ‘move on’ in her innings and lost her wicket to Rajeshwari Gayakwad scoring just 4 off 6 balls. It was her fourth consecutive dismissal against a spinner in the tournament. She has scored just 80 runs in four innings in the tournament so far at an average of 20.

Allysa Healy registers the highest score in WPL

UP Warriorz captain Allysa Healy was in no mood to spare anyone as she fell just four runs short of scoring the first-ever hundred in the Women’s Premier League. She played a breathtaking knock of 96* off just 47 balls smashing 18 fours and a six in her innings. She was involved in a match-winning partnership of 139* off 78 balls with Devika Vaidya for the first wicket.

RCB’s batting woes continue

No other batter apart from Ellyse Perry (52 off 39 balls) and Sophie Devine (36 off 24 balls) could stand tall against the UP bowling attack. RCB went from 73/1 to 138 all out as they failed to play all 20 overs of their innings.

Losing skipper Smriti Mandhana said:

I think in the last four games, it has been happening. We start well and we lose a cluster of wickets. I will take the blame as well. As a top order batter, we need to put up runs on the board for the bowlers to defend. (On plans in middle overs) We spoke about it before this match that we will try to take 7-8 runs per over but it did not work out today. As top-order batters, we need to bat well and put up a good total to defend. We don't have injuries. We are trying to get a balanced team that can win us a game. I have tried to speak to almost all the players, pep them up and I have to keep doing it. Last week has been tough. Lots to reflect and lots to work on. (On her support) A lot of people have reached out to me and as an international cricketer, we have faced these situations before. I have my family around me always but I always believe that you have to sit by yourself and rectify your mistakes.

Winning Captain and Player of the Match Alyssa Healy said:

(On the bowling effort) I was really pleased with the bowlers. Before the game, I thought if we could keep them to under 200, it would be great. To keep a batting unit like that to a score under 140 was phenomenal. It was spin to win tonight. It is still a good batting wicket but our spinners bowled well in partnerships. Anjali held her nerve too. Our bowlers executed really well tonight. Devika came into the top of the order and just showed her class. During the series we played against India, I thought what she was doing so low down the order. We just set the platform early. We got off to a really good start. At the time-out, we discussed about not dragging it out until the final over. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't. Today it did and I am really happy about that.

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