WPL 2024: BAN-W vs UP-W Match 2 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (RCB-W) got their campaign in WPL 2024 off to a memorable start as they beat UP Warriorz (UP-W) by two runs in Match 2 on Saturday, February 24 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. UP failed to chase down the target of 158 as Sophie Molineux held her nerve and defended 11 runs in the last over.

UP were left reeling at 49/3 in their chase before Shweta Sehrawat (31 off 25) and Grace Harris (38 off 23) brought them back in the game with their 77-run stand. Wrist spinner Sobhana Asha brought RCB back in the game with a triple wicket over which proved to be the turning point of the game.

Earlier in the day, RCB didn’t get off to a good start as they lost their opener Sophie Devine (1 off 5) early in the innings. After losing her partner, captain Smriti Mandhana rode on her luck and smacked a four and a six to move to 13. However, she was eventually dismissed as Vrinda Dinesh managed to grab the catch.

Star all-rounder Ellyse Perry was also dismissed cheaply leaving Bangalore on 54/3 after 7.5 overs. However, Sabbhineni Meghana (53 off 44) and Richa Ghosh (62 off 37) came to their team’s rescue with a 71-run stand off 50 balls. Courtesy of their partnership, RCB finished their innings on 157/6.

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Let’s take a look at the highlights from Match 2 of WPL 2024:

1. Rajeshwari Gayakwad breaks the massive stand between Meghana and Richa

With Sabbhineni Meghana and Richa Ghosh taking the game away from UP, captain Alyssa Healy brought Rajeshwari Gayakwad back into the attack and the left-arm spinner responded immediately. She first got Meghana stumped on the first ball off the over and later got Georgia Wareham (0 off 3) caught at point to bring her side back in the game.

2. Sophie Molineux gets the big scalp of Alyssa Healy

The left-arm spinner got RCB off to a perfect start with the ball as she got the big wicket of Alyssa Healy (5 off 4) in the second over itself. Bowling from around the wicket, Molineux bowled a delivery that came in with the angle and turned sharply which squared up her national team skipper and castled her off stump.

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3. Sobhana Asha’s triple wicket over

With UP needing just 32 to win from 24 balls, captain Smriti Mandhana brought her most successful bowler of the game and the wrist spinner lived up to the hopes of her captain. Asha first dismissed a well-set Sehrawat who holed out to cover and further cleaned up Harris two balls later. She finally finished the over with the stumping of Kiran Navgire (1 off 2) and changed the game on its head.

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