An astonishing innings of 62 from just 23 balls including eight sixes from Jamaican allrounder Chinelle Henry blasted the UP Warriorz to a total of 177-9 which was good enough to earn victory by 33-runs in their WPL match against the Delhi Capitals Women at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Delhi Capitals were dismissed for 144 in 19.3 overs with Indian fast bowler Kranti Goud (4-25) and Australian offspinner Grace Harris (4-15) claiming four wickets apiece.
The Warriorz, bottom of the five-team log after two opening losses, were once again struggling at 109-7 with just 4.2 overs remaining after being asked to bat first before Henry’s remarkable counter-attack which also included a couple of fours giving her 56 runs in boundaries alone.
Australian Tahlia McGrath contributed a pedestrian 24 from 23 balls in an attempt to stabilise the innings with wickets falling regularly – Marizanne Kapp claimed 2-18 – but it looked to be a futile effort before Henry’s incredible blitz.
Jemimah Rodrigues batted beautifully in the run-chase to post 56 from 35 balls but the target proved beyond the DC Women especially when the dangerous Kapp (9) was caught at midwicket miscuing a pull against – Henry, of course.
Tailenders Niki Prasad (18) and Shikha Pandey (15) added a veneer of respectability to the score which plummeted to 111-7 but the Warriorz were not to be denied a well-deserved victory to keep their play-off hopes alive.
The top three teams (RCB Women, MI Women and Delhi Capitals Women) all have four points while the bottom two (UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants Women) have two points in a now deliciously congested log keeping every team very much alive.
UP WARRIORZ: Kiran Navgire, Vrinda Dinesh, Deepti Sharma (captain), Tahlia McGrath, Shweta Sehrawat, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry, Sophie Ecclestone, Uma Chetry (wkt), Kranti Goud, Saima Thakor.
CAPITALS WOMEN: Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Sarah Bryce (wkt), Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad.