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So, that is it from myself, Karthik Raj and my co-commentator, Pradeep. Do switch over to the WPL evening game between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals which is set to start at 7.30 PM IST. Apart from that, ECL is on while the Legends final will also begin soon. Don't miss out on any of the action!
Grace Harris (Player of the Match): (Whether she will become a commentator soon) Will see, I haven’t got any plans as of now but I am enjoying my cricket. With short boundaries and a quick outfield, I knew we were always in the chase. I was a bit scratchy at the start but I found my range later on. I like to finish games of.
Tahlia McGrath: It did but Soph the finisher got the job done and Grace was outstanding. So, a pretty special win and we qualify for the play-offs I believe. We just need to hang in there, knew it was a really good wicket. We just tried to keep it really simple and keep hitting the stumps. Change the pace and hold on as long as possible and restrict them to a total which we thought was par. Luckily, we chased it down. It is interesting. We have seen DY turn a bit and become tricky to bat on. So, it suits us perfectly with our spinners. Just got to assess the conditions early and go from there. Communicate to the team, how to bowl on it and just adapt quickly. (Slowing down when Ash Gardner was brought to bowl) We did a little bit which was probably not the right way to approach it but it is fun to bat with her, she commentates while batting. We weren't looking to get carried away with dot balls. Knew it was an absolute road and we could cash in.
Alyssa Healy (UP Warriorz captain): Box ticked, It was an entertaining game, I got no words how our batting unit held their nerve and got the job done but also happy with the bowling who just held their nerve in the end. It looks that way, in some of the chase we lost few early wickets, knowing the power we got in the middle we got the freedom up top but Grace, Tahlia and Ecclestone are doing amazing things with the bat for us. We'll just probably enjoy the night that we've qualified, no matter the results but will just enjoy some cricket on tele.
Sneh Rana (Gujarat Giants captain): No, I don't think so, the girls were amazing, we played some good cricket. We put up partnerships and we ended up getting a good total on board. Girls have played very good cricket, they've executed the plans very well, everyone has impressed us and has supported me throughout. Hemalatha played an amazing knock, I've seen her before but today she was effortless. Grace Harris is a strong opponent, you just can't bowl for someone like her.
MATCH OVER!
UP Warriorz win by three wickets!
Gujarat Giants 178/6 (20) UP Warriorz 181/7 (19.5)
Grace Harris 72 (41) | Tahlia McGrarth 57 (38)
Kim Garth 2-29 | Ashleigh Gardner 1-29
So, UP Warriorz qualify for the play-offs by defeating Gujarat Giants by three wickets. Now, we know all those who progress to the knock-outs - Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz.
Chasing 179 for victory, UP Warriorz didn't get off to the best start as the likes of Alyssa Healy, Kiran Navgire and Devika Vaidya were dismissed in the Powerplay itself. The duo of Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris came in at 39-3 and they went about the rebuilding in a fantastic way. The Aussie pair ensured that the asking rate didn't go beyond control at all as they manufactured boundaries at regular junctures.
Just as McGrath got to her fifty and UP Warriorz started to look at ease, Ash Gardner came back into the attack to break the partnership. McGrath and Deepti Sharma fell in quick succession which got Gujarat back into the game big time.
This didn't matter to Grace Harris though as she reached her fifty and started to go berserk. Grace eventually reduced the equation to seven off eight balls. Kim Garth gave a last lease of life to Gujarat by dismissing Grace as the game went to the final over. The Gujarat Sneh Rana took the responsibility and tried to drag the game with Simran Shaikh also getting run out off the fourth delivery. However, Sophie Ecclestone remained calm and struck a boundary to ensure UP get over the line and qualify for the play-offs!
19.5 Sneh Rana to Sophie Ecclestone, FOUR! UP WARRIORZ INTO THE PLAYOFFS! Heart break for the Gujarat Giants as Ecclestone was smart enough to walk across off-stump, paddles it down to fine-leg, that races away and finds the ropes to seal the deal.
Anjali Sarvani, LHB, is into the middle
Oh! Did Simran Shaikh make it back to the crease? It looked pretty close there! No, she is short of the crease! So, it will be just one run!
19.4 Sneh Rana to Sophie Ecclestone, RUN-OUT! Low full toss on the stumps. Ecclestone lifted it straight down the ground, they finish the single and they decide to come back for the brace. Throw comes to the bowler's end, Rana collects and whips the bails off and Simran might be struggling here. Umpire goes upstairs to check,Simran is well short and has to go. That means it's just one for the Warriorz!
Simran Shaikh run out (Ashleigh Gardner/Sneh Rana) 1 (2b) (4*0 6*0)
19.3 Sneh Rana to Simran Shaikh, OH DEAR! Direct-hit would've been curtains for Simran. Was short on the stumps. Simran looks to swipe across the line and misses, thuds on the thigh and Ecclestone takes off immediately but Simran was struggling as the keeper has a shy at the stumps and misses.
19.2 Sneh Rana to Sophie Ecclestone, OH! Full toss on the stumps. Ecclestone down the track, mistimes the swipe to deep mid-wicket for a single. Ecclestone knew she missed out on that.
19.1 Sneh Rana to Sophie Ecclestone, length delivery on the middle and leg. Ecclestone skips down the track, gently clips it past the vacant mid-wicket region and they scamper back for the brace.
Sneh Rana to bowl the final over
Oh! Damn! Kim Garth puts down a tough return catch opportunity. So, we are going down to the final over. Seven runs needed off balls with Sophie Ecclestone on strike!
19
overs
172/6score
1
4
1
6
W
0
runs
Simran Shaikh*
0(1)
Sophie Ecclestone
11(9)
Kim Garth
2/29
18.6 Kim Garth to Simran Shaikh, DROPPED! Not enough reflexes from Garth as she spills the catch. Low full toss and Simran smacked it straight back to Garth, on her follow through fails to cling on.
Simran Shaikh, RHB, is into the middle
Grace Harris deserves a lifetime's supply of burgers from the UPW owners. What a superstar! #WPL2023