Wareham’s late blitz seals 10 run win for Gujarat Giants despite Litchfield’s valiant 78

NAVI: Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield’s commanding knock of 78 off just 40 balls went in vain as Gujarat Giants beat UP Warriorz by 10 runs in a high-scoring Women’s Premier League match here on Saturday.

Sent in to bat, captain Ashleigh Gardner struck a scintillating 65 before Georgia Wareham played a late cameo of 27 not out off just 10 balls as Gujarat Giants posted an impressive 207 for 4.At the end, the Warriorz finished on 197 for 8, falling short by 10 runs.Thereafter, the Warriorz suffered a mini collapse, with three batters Lanning, Harleen Deol (0) and Deepti Sharma (1) getting out for the addition of just one run in the space of five balls. The Warriorz slumped to 74 for 4 in the 10th over from 73 for 1 in the ninth.

There was a 69-run partnership between Litchfield and Shweta Sehrawat (25), but after that the Warriorz lost wickets in quick succession to lose the match.Bharti Fulmali also remained not out on 14 off seven balls, with the help of two sixes.

Ecclestone was the pick of the UP Warriorz bowling with figures of 2 for 32, while Shikha Pandey and Deandra Dottin took one wicket each. Star Indian all rounder Deepti Sharma went wicketless and conceded 32 runs in her three overs.

Earlier, Gardner played a captain’s knock to take Gujarat Giants to a big total. Coming in at the fall of opener Sophie Devine (38) in the sixth over, Gardner stitched together 103 runs with Anushka Sharma (44 off 30 balls) for the third wicket to ta

Asha Sobhana made a late charge with an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls, with the help of three fours and two sixes, but it turned out to be too late in the day.

For Gujarat Giants, Australian Georgia Wareham grabbed two wickets for 30 runs with her leg spin, adding to her stunning cameo with the bat earlier in the day. Renuka Singh and Sophie Devine also picked up two wickets each, while Gardner and Rajeshwari Gayakwad took one apiece

That total proved to be enough despite a stunning counter-attacking innings from Litchfield, who kept the Warriorz in the hunt. But her departure in the 16th over virtually ended the Warriorz’s valiant resistance.