What a season Royal Challengers Bangalore has had. After a seesawing marketing campaign within the league stage, the aspect – largely because of the brilliance of Ellyse Perry – crawled its method into the knockouts.
Facing Mumbai Indians – the very aspect it beat to qualify for the playoffs – RCB’s luck and some medical performances underneath strain carried the aspect into the summit conflict after it sealed a tense five-run win within the last over on the Arun Jaitley Stadium right here on Friday.
Smriti Mandhana opted to bat, seeking to set a goal on a floor that largely stayed gradual. RCB fielded its fourth new opening pair, sending an out-of-form Sophie Devine alongside Smriti Mandhana.
RCB beat MI by 5 runs: WPL 2024 Eliminator Highlights – As it occurred
The duo acquired off to a flyer, taking Shabnim Ismail for 14 runs. Hayley Matthews eliminated Devine, with the ball clipping her off stump within the second over. Smriti fell two deliveries later to Nat Sciver-Brunt. Disha Kasat and Ellyse Perry had been tasked with steadying the innings, however the former – a daily prime order bat in home cricket – crumbled underneath strain, falling for a seven-ball duck.
This compelled Richa Ghosh to take guard far sooner than she would have preferred. MI’s bowlers cramped her for area very similar to pedestrians wrestle for room within the crowded galis of Old Delhi. Richa, and Sophie Molineux ultimately made their method again to the dugout, leaving Perry to do all of the heavy lifting but once more. She scored one more fifty, with a elegant 50-ball 66 serving to a once-doomed RCB complete to a good 135.
Matthews and Yastika Bhatia began positively, however the former’s poor run of kind continued after Shreyanka Patil dismissed her within the fourth over. Perry eliminated Yastika and saved issues tight, sticking to a tried-and-tested stump line.
Sciver-Brunt was taken out by Wareham simply as she began breaching the boundary. Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr appeared set to take the staff via with a 52-run stand, however Harman and Sajana quickly after discovered themselves watching nervously from the dugout.
With 12 wanted off the final six balls, Smriti turned to Asha Sobhana, who helped maintain issues tight, eliminated Pooja Vastrakar, and closed out a dicey win, defending the bottom rating within the event.
RCB will lock horns with the Delhi Capitals in its bid for a maiden WPL title on Sunday.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com