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 approach into the knockouts.
Going through Mumbai Indians – the very aspect it beat to qualify for the playoffs – RCB’s luck and some scientific 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, trying 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 – Because 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 have been tasked with steadying the innings, however the former – an everyday prime order bat in home cricket – crumbled underneath strain, falling for a seven-ball duck.
This pressured Richa Ghosh to take guard far sooner than she would have appreciated. MI’s bowlers cramped her for house very similar to pedestrians battle for room within the crowded galis of Outdated Delhi. Richa, and Sophie Molineux ultimately made their approach again to the dugout, leaving Perry to do all of the heavy lifting but once more. She scored one more fifty, with a chic 50-ball 66 serving to a once-doomed RCB whole to a good 135.
Matthews and Yastika Bhatia began positively, however the former’s poor run of type 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 seemed set to take the workforce 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 hold issues tight, eliminated Pooja Vastrakar, and closed out a dicey win, defending the bottom rating within the match.
RCB will lock horns with the Delhi Capitals in its bid for a maiden WPL title on Sunday.