All-rounder Sophie Ecclestone helps UP Warriorz secure Super Over win against RCB

The UP Warriorz led by skipper Deepti Sharma became the first team to defend a total and win a game after losing the toss in the ongoing 3rd edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) to seal the game by 33 runs against the Delhi Capitals.

In a short turnaround for the Deepti Sharma-led side, they were up against the home side Royal Challengers Bengaluru led by skipper Smriti Mandhana at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru.

Sneh Rana’s time for WPL redemption as she makes her RCB debut

The experienced veteran 31-year-old all-rounder Sneh Rana was with the Gujarat Giants for the first couple of editions, after being picked up by the franchise in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2023. She also led the franchise in the absence of their regular skipper Beth Mooney in the inaugural edition of the tournament.

She was released by the franchise ahead of the WPL 2025 mini-auctions, where she went unsold, earlier in the year. However, destiny had other plans as she got her much-deserved opportunity for WPL redemption, when her services were called up by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, making her way back into the scheme of things as a replacement player for Shreyanka Patil for the rest of the ongoing 3rd edition of the WPL. She was named in the RCB’s starting 11 replacing Joshitha VJ in the side against the Warriorz.

Ellyse Perry stands tall with her career-best 90* after Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 1st WPL fifty

The home side openers Danielle Wyatt-Hodge got their side off to a steady start after the Warriorz skipper Deepti Sharma won the toss and inserted them to bat first at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru. Deepti Sharma got the better of her counterpart Smriti Mandhana to provide the first breakthrough for her side in the powerplay.

Ellyse Perry joined Danielle Wyatt-Hodge at the crease and the latter fought her way through her initial struggles at the crease as the duo stitched a crucial 94-run partnership for the 2nd wicket to take their side closer to the 120-run mark. The partnership set a solid platform for a final flourish. Tahlia McGrath broke the ominous stand by removing Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (57 off 41 balls) in the 15th over of the innings. She completed her maiden WPL half-century before getting dismissed.

Yet another blockbuster finish from the star all-rounder Ellyse Perry powered RCB to a slightly above-par total of 180/6 in their quota of 20 overs. Ellyse Perry (90* off 56 balls) stayed unbeaten on her career-best score in the WPL. The overseas duo of Perry and Wyatt-Hodge were at the heart of their total accounting for a mind-blowing aggregate of around 82% of their team’s total in the first innings.

Sophie Ecclestone (4-0-29-0) was the stand-out performer with the ball for the UP Warriorz, she also gave away just six runs in the final over of the innings. Chenille Henry (4-0-34-1), skipper Deepti Sharma (4-0-42-1), and Tahlia McGrath (3-0-30-1) picked up a wicket each for their side.

Sophie Ecclestone the batter comes to the Warriorz rescue, ensuring a Super Over

Chasing a target of 181, the UP Warriorz openers Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh got their side off to a flying start with a 30-run opening partnership. The pair were going at a rate of over 10 runs an over. Renuka Singh Thakur cleaned up Kiran Navgire (24 off 12 balls) to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for the home side in the 3rd over of the run chase.

The Warriorz kept losing wickets at regular intervals and found themselves in deep trouble at 93/5 in the 11th over of the run chase. Wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry joined Shweta Sehrawat at the crease and the duo took their side closer to the 130-run mark with a much-needed 30-run partnership for the 6th wicket. Sneh Rana broke the stand, removing wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry (14 off 11 balls) in the 14th over of the run chase.

Shweta Sehrawat (31 off 25 balls) soon followed her back to the pavilion to leave a massive dent in the Warriorz hopes of getting over the line in the run chase. However, the duo of Saima Thakor (14 off 8 balls) and Sophie Ecclestone ignited the warrior’s spirit within them to keep the run chase alive, reducing the equation to 18 off the final over, with just one wicket in hand.

Sophie Ecclestone took matters into her hands to guide her side over the line in the chase. The over was bowled by Renuka Singh Thakur and Sophie Ecclestone, delivered just what the doctor ordered for the Deepti Sharma-led side, smashing the experienced pacer Renuka Singh Thakur for a couple of maximums and a boundary on successive deliveries.

However, the 21-year-old youngster failed to get bat on the ball as she missed it completely and as a result, Sophie Ecclestone (33 off 19 balls) was found short of her crease to push the game into a historic super over for the first time in the history of the WPL. The Warriorz batted first and the trio of Chinelle Henry, Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone managed to score 8/1 in the over bowled by Kim Garth.

Sophie Ecclestone was trusted with the ball to defend 9 runs in the super over and the experienced left-arm spinner delivered, giving away just four runs against the likes of Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh, reinforcing her reputation as the number one bowler in the Women’s T20Is. Sneh Rana (3-0-27-3), Renuka Singh Thakur (4-0-36-2), Kim Garth (4-0-40-2), and Ellyse Perry (2-0-10-1) were the star performers with the ball for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Sophie Ecclestone was rightly awarded the Player of the Match for her sensational all-round, decisive outing for the UP Warriorz. With that win, the Deepti Sharma-led side climbed up to the 3rd spot with four points and a net-run rate in the positive, auguring well, and setting a tone for the franchise for the rest of the season.

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