WPL: RCB in playoffs with 5th consecutive win

Gautami Naik’s composed 73 (55b; 7x1; 1x6) first lifted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 178/6 before the bowlers produced a clinical display to seal a 61-run trouncing of Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Monday.

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Undefeated in all five games so far, RCB became the first team to enter the playoffs this season. For Giants, it was their third consecutive loss.

Chasing 179, captain Ashleigh Gardner mounted a lone fight with a 43-ball 54, but she soon ran out of partners. Sayali Satghare, who triggered Giants’ collapse in the second over with the wickets of openers Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine, was the one who also dismissed Gardner with. Satghare had figures of 4-0-21-3.

Earlier, put into bat, RCB were rocked early by the new ball. Renuka Singh Thakur removed Grace Harris in the first over and Kashvee Gautam struck soon after to leave the visitors at 9/2. Naik then rebuilt it with Smriti Mandhana.

The stand helped RCB regain momentum before Gardner dismissed Mandhana. Naik, however, found an aggressive partner in Richa Ghosh. The pair upped the tempo, with Ghosh’s clean hitting complementing Naik’s measured approach. Ghosh fell for 27 off 20, but Naik pressed on to bring up her maiden WPL half-century.

SCORES: RCB 178/6 (Gautami Naik 73, Smriti Mandhana 26, Richa Ghosh 27; Kashvee Gautam 2/38, Ashleigh Gardner 2/43) beat GG 117/8 (Ashleigh Gardner 54; Sayali Satghare 3/21, Nadine de Klerk 2/17) by 61 runs.

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