We are using pitch number three for the encounter tonight. As far as dimensions are concerned, if I am on the right hand side standing from this end to the square leg boundary is 59 metres and 51 metres to the other side. Off sidd 59 metres and straight 66 metres. It is a surface that's been used before in the season and it might favour the spinners a bit. It looks nice and hard. It's been rolled very well. It's a red soil surface and that's the reason we saw the spinners having a field day. Even tonight we can expect the same thing. It's important to bowl at the right speeds so that they can get some purchase. The lure will be the sort of boundaries on the leg side which will be an opportunity for the spinners as well. That's a tricky proposition of which score to target. We saw dew play a large part for the side chasing here. Side batting first can find it tricky to fix a number. Atleast at the back of their mind they should target 170-175.
We are using pitch number three for the encounter tonight. As far as dimensions are concerned, if I am on the right hand side standing from this end to the square leg boundary is 59 metres and 51 metres to the other side. Off sidd 59 metres and straight 66 metres. It is a surface that's been used before in the season and it might favour the spinners a bit. It looks nice and hard. It's been rolled very well. It's a red soil surface and that's the reason we saw the spinners having a field day. Even tonight we can expect the same thing. It's important to bowl at the right speeds so that they can get some purchase. The lure will be the sort of boundaries on the leg side which will be an opportunity for the spinners as well. That's a tricky proposition of which score to target. We saw dew play a large part for the side chasing here. Side batting first can find it tricky to fix a number. Atleast at the back of their mind they should target 170-175.
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That brings us to the end of our coverage from this WPL encounter. Both the UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been eliminated from the competition. Now we know who the top three teams are but we still await who will finish at the top and which two teams will play the eliminator. It was a humdinger of a contest and RCB did their best to almost chase down the highest score in WPL history. Meanwhile the UP Warriorz will be happy to finish on a winning note. A big day coming ahead tomorrow with India squaring off against New Zealand in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. Do join us then and for all the latest sporting action but for now this is myself (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator and good mate Rajarshi Das. Goodnight! Cheers!
Georgia Voll is the Player of the Match, here is what she had to say: It's been really cool, got here a week ago and it was great to know all the girls. Sort of just preparing like any other game. Had one session using the surface. It's been a great experience. Thankfully we got the win today after a disappointing season. Yeah probably you think about where you could have found that extra run or two. To be able to score in excess of 200 and defend that was more important to be honest. It was nice to get a couple of catches today.
Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz captain): T20 game always goes close. We were thinking about staying on our toes and it was a great team effort. The conditions like this have come before, we knew they would score runs. I wanted to stick with my stalk deliveries. I backed myself and always thought of giving breakthroughs. Everyone was feeling great, we were talking for a long time that our top order was doing well but the middle order wasn't chipped in. Grace and Voll batted beautifully, everyone contributed to the win so that was great. Disappointment is there as well have not qualified for the playoffs. Hopefully we have learnt from the season and come back stronger next season. The pink jersey might be used next season as we have performed well wearing this jersey.
Time for the post match presentation ceremony with Anjum Chopra.
Grace Harris, UP Warriorz, hands the Orange Cap to Ellyse Perry as both of them snigger uncontrollably. Let's hear from her: We kind of saved our best game till the last. Great to have the experience, the crowds and UP in general. Don't know if I'll get a gig next year, will be great to come back! We kind of identified that our middle order had issues, had collapses and played too many dots. Tonight I think we expressed ourselves freely. The way Volli batted tonight was outstanding, even after a wicket our team played a lot better. Kept attacking RCB bowlers, there were very few dot balls and it was a good surface to do so. Admittedly, our middle order collapsed in the last seven games. We've batted on two-three different wickets. Against Mumbai Nat Sciver-Brunt cut me in half, I thought that was a flat deck. It slid on tonight. You'd like to bowl first if you win the toss here - the dew has come in play here. Not much different than what you expect in India. Great to see a bigger crowd come out tonight. Much better pitch, this. Flatter and true for the batters. Wicket the other night had a bit to make it even. 150 would have been tricky on that wicket. Invaluable - it's a great experience for international and domestic players. I've learned Deepti Sharma's game from the competition, all the other Indian domestic players. Vital for the women's game too. UP Warriorz do it well - we give the domestic Indian players a crack, they showcase their skills while batting in key positions. It's vital to make sure women's cricket thrives.
Smriti Mandhana, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain: They batted positively from the first ball. Last game of the season they come out in a different mood, UP did that today. We pulled off the last few overs, but they bowled really well. We thought it's going to be a good season, we couldn't live up to the expectations in the last five matches. We played some good cricket on occasions. A lot to take back from the season. It was bad to lose out the top three wicket-takers from the last season. Losing them post auction was huge, but the replacements were good. The way we started the tournament we thought we'd take the momentum through. Things happen differently in franchise cricket. Lot of positive from youngsters - for Richa the way she batted today. Really happy for Sneh Rana, she came in as a replacement and for what she did in the last over was terrific to watch.
The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been eliminated from the third edition of the WPL but not before a thrilling run chase, which was brought to life in the penultimate over by Sneh Rana, smashing Deepti Sharma for 28 runs. However she departed off the final delivery of the 19th over and that was the final nail in the coffin for RCB.
It was always going to be an uphill task for RCB to chase down a mammoth score of 226 but when S Meghana provided a good start in the opening over, the defending champions started to believe. Meghana smashed 27 off just 12 deliveries but RCB lost their skipper Smriti Mandhana early which put pressure on the middle order.
Ellyse Perry batted beautifully and was supported well by Raghvi Bisht as the duo shared a brief 33 run stand before the departure of Paddy and Bisht in quick succession. Just when the run chase seems to be dying down, it was Richa Ghosh who came out from the ashes and started blasting the Warriorz bowlers to every corner of the ground.
She continued her imperious form and scored a 33-ball 69, which included 6 fours and 5 sixes and until she was there, the hopes for RCB was well and truly alive. Her departure was almost the final nail in the coffin but Sneh Rana had other ideas. She smashed 26 off 6 deliveries and took Deepti Sharma apart in the penultimate over. However, her dismissal on the final delivery of that ended RCB’s challenge as UP Warriorz eventually registered a 12-run victory.
Take a bow both teams. It has been a sensational run chase from RCB but in the end, they falls just short of scripting an improbable victory. When Sneh Rana was smashing sixes for fun in the previous over it looked she would do the unthinkable but you can't predict anything in cricket. Eventually it was the UP Warriorz who finishes their campaign on a high with a hard fought win in the end.
19.3 Georgia Voll to Kim Garth, kamikaze running, AND THAT WILL BE THE END - of the game and RCB's 2025 WPL campaign! Tossed up outside off, Garth gets to it and crunches it towards cover. Sehrawat there does really well to get a good hand to it and stop it dead. Renuka was halfway down in search of a run, Garth saw the ball being stopped and pulled out of it. Deepti collects, lobs the ball to Voll, who, fittingly, finishes the game off by taking the bails off, catching Renuka yards short. UP Warriorz claim the honours by 12 runs in a truly pulsating encounter at the Ekana tonight!
Renuka Singh Thakur run out Deepti Sharma/Georgia Voll 1 (1b, 0x4, 0x6)
19.2 Georgia Voll to Renuka Thakur, yorker length just outside off. Renuka squeezes this towards cover-point. She was struggling to get to the other end - the throw at the bowler's had too much force for Voll to collect
19.1 Georgia Voll to Kim Garth, length outside off, flatbatted down towards long on. Just a single
Georgia Voll, right arm off break comes into the attack.
What an incredible innings from Sneh Rana but she has to depart after scoring 26 off 6 deliveries. A massive over for RCB and they are just in with an opportunity. Take nothing away from the knock, she has given RCB a real chance here.
19
overs
211/9score
1
4
6
6
5nb
6
w
runs
Sneh Rana*
26(6)
Kim Garth
2(2)
Deepti Sharma
3/50
18.6 Deepti Sharma to Sneh Rana, ANTI-CLIMATIC FOR RCB! Sneh Rana fails to get her team through, but she's kept RCB in the hunt! Deepti's ploy of pulling her length back comes good finally - Rana did connect with this flatter length delivery outside off with a flat-batted swat across the line, but picked out Khemnar at deep mid wicket.
Sneh Rana c Poonam Khemnar b Deepti Sharma .26 (6b, 2x4, 3x6)
This is the most runs conceded (28) in an over in the history of WPL.
18.5 Deepti Sharma to Sneh Rana, full toss, CLATTERS ONTO THE AD HOARDINGS AT MID WICKET! Rana, down the wicket, had only one thing in mind. She heaves across the line with all her might and clears woman and ropes. 15 off 7 - anybody's game now, and RCB have a whole lot of momentum!
This is drama unfolding here at the Ekhana Stadium in Lucknow. Free hit coming up.
18.5 Deepti Sharma to Sneh Rana, SWATTED AWAY! 22 off 7 needed! My oh my - did RCB miss a trick by not sending Rana up the order? Deepti saw Rana charge early and dropped it well short, Rana accounted for the length and had a flat-batted swat across the line, beating the fielder at cow corner to her right. It's Deepti who crosses the line this time - she's overstepped. UP Warriorz are crumbling....
This match is not over folks. Two lusty blows from Sneh Rana and she is climbing into Deepti Sharma yet. 26 needed off 8 deliveries.
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Sneh Rana
*
Deepti Sharma
Video
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Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
