GG vs RCB, WPL Live Score: Gujarat Giants crumble in chase, RCB win by 61 runs

In the six games played last season here in Vadodara, 156 has been the average first-innings score, and RCB have gone well past that figure. Moreover, the surface has played slow and low, with batters not quite finding the fluency they would have liked. That said, all six matches last season at this venue were won by the side chasing. The Giants will be hoping for a strong start and for Beth Mooney to come good at the top of the order. They will have the challenge of dealing with Lauren Bell, who has had the ball on a string this season. Back in a bit for the second essay.

Gautami Naik (73 off 55 balls) comes up for a quick chat. Says she is feeling very good, having got an opportunity and is happy to prove herself. She adds that the RCB management shows faith in her, and she went out with the aim of implementing the plans. She explains that the ball is holding up a bit, so the plan was to take it on from one end and back her strengths. Mentions that she loves the grounded shot she played the most. Describes batting with Smriti Mandhana as a pleasure, saying that Smriti guided her and made things easier for her in the early stages. She expresses gratitude to Smriti for backing her.

Both Richa Ghosh and Gautami Naik fell within the space of three balls, giving the Gujarat Giants a window to close out the innings on a strong note. However, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil came through for RCB to push the total past 175. After a promising start, the Giants were untidy with the ball, conceding 15 wides, and that could well end up proving the difference.

After the toss fell their way, the Gujarat Giants made early inroads through their new-ball attack to reduce RCB to 9/2. Gautami Naik then stitched together crucial partnerships, first with Smriti Mandhana and later with Richa Ghosh. That allowed RCB to recover from those early setbacks. Naik grew in confidence as the innings progressed and went on to register her maiden WPL half-century. Once again, Gujarat’s struggles through the middle phase came to the fore, as they conceded 77 runs between overs 7 and 15.

A strong finish for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 40 runs in the last 3 overs for RCB, and they will be pretty happy with what they have ended up with. Having dismissed the two set batters in the last phase of the innings, the Gujarat Giants would have hoped to limit the damage, but it was not to be.

Kashvee Gautam to Shreyanka Patil, FOUR! Wow, that's some way to end the inning. Length delivery around off, and Patil goes down to attempt the reverse. She gets it absolutely spot on, lifts it cleanly over short third, and picks up a clever boundary. 17 runs from the final over and RCB end on 178/6.

Kashvee Gautam to Shreyanka Patil, FOUR! Terrific shot. Length delivery outside off, Shreyanka Patil shuffles across the stumps and plays a powerful slog sweep, over backward square leg and finds the fence after beating the dive from the fielder near the boundary line.

Shreyanka Patil comes out to bat. Two legal balls left in the innings. Can RCB go past 175?

Kashvee Gautam to Radha Yadav, OUT! CAUGHT! That is the end of a handy little cameo from Radha Yadav. Back of a length around off and taken off the pace, Radha stays back to muscle it through the off side but goes too early. The timing deserts her, the ball floats straight to mid off, and Bharti Fulmali accepts the gift without fuss.

Kashvee Gautam to Radha Yadav, FOUR! The bowler tries to follow the batter down the leg side, but the length is short and Yadav adjusts well to put it away, behind square leg, and finds the fence once more.

Kashvee Gautam to Radha Yadav, FOUR! Plenty of bottom hand on this shot. Too full and around off, Yadav stays put inside the crease and thwacks it over extra cover for a cracking boundary.

Kashvee Gautam (3-0-21-1) to close out the innings.

Kashvee Gautam to Nadine De Klerk, Begins with a full ball on middle, Nadine hangs back and drills it to long off, takes a single.

Sophie Devine to Radha Yadav, Full and outside off, Yadav tries to play lap shot initially but then tries the reverse-batted shot. Doesn't middle and it rolls to point.

Sophie Devine to Radha Yadav, SIX! Out of here! Devine serves a length ball around leg, Radha goes deep inside the crease and plunders it over deep backward square leg for a maximum.

Sophie Devine to Nadine De Klerk, Full and on middle, eased to long on for a run.

Sophie Devine to Radha Yadav, Hangs back to a length ball and drags it over mid-wicket for one.

Sophie Devine to Nadine De Klerk, Down the leg side, De Klerk fails to flick and it goes off her pads to the on side. They cross for a leg bye.

Sophie Devine to Nadine De Klerk, In and around the off stump, on a length, Nadine stays leg side and looks to force it away on the off side but is beaten as the ball goes under the blade.

Sophie Devine to Nadine De Klerk, Wide! Full and pushed down leg, Nadine De Klerk has a swing at it but misses.

Ashleigh Gardner to Nadine De Klerk, Quicker and down the leg side, Nadine De Klerk goes down and sweeps it towards short fine. They cross. 13 runs from the over, along with a wicket.

Ashleigh Gardner to Radha Yadav, Flighted on middle, slogged to deep mid-wicket for one.

Ashleigh Gardner to Nadine De Klerk, Outside off, tapped to point for one.

Ashleigh Gardner to Nadine De Klerk, Five wides! Gardner loses her radar and fires it down the leg side. Nadine De Klerk fails to get any bat behind it and the keeper also fails to collect. A boundary down to fine leg.

Ashleigh Gardner to Radha Yadav, On middle, lofted down towards square leg for a run.

Radha Yadav joins Nadine De Klerk out in the middle. Two new batters at the crease in the death overs on a surface where batting hasn’t been easy. Let’s see how RCB finish.

Ashleigh Gardner to Gautami Naik, OUT! BOWLED! Both set batters depart in quick succession and it is a productive phase for the Giants. There was a little cat-and-mouse just before this delivery, with Naik shaping for the reverse before Ash backed out. This time she keeps it full and around middle. Naik makes room and looks to go over the off side, but plays all around it. The stumps are rattled, and Gautami Naik bows out for a well-made 73 off 55 balls.

Ashleigh Gardner to Gautami Naik, FOUR! Meanwhile, Naik continues with her purple patch. Flighted and full around leg, Naik skips down the track and whips it towards wide long on. The fielder sprints across from deep mid wicket but cannot cut it off, and the ball wins the race to the fence.

The new batter is....Nadine De Klerk. Ashleigh Gardner will bowl out now. Oh, wait. The third umpire is reviewing the previous decision again after the wrong graphics were initially shown for the height check on Ghosh. The correct graphics have now been put up, and it is still a fair delivery. We are all good to go.

Sophie Devine to Richa Ghosh, OUT! CAUGHT! A full toss, a real gift on middle, and Ghosh stays back to give it the full treatment straight down the ground. She does not quite get the distance though, and Gardner at long on settles under it and accepts the chance. Ghosh is not going anywhere, she wants it checked for a waist-high full toss. It is a legal delivery, shows the replay and she is on her way. A massive breakthrough for the Giants at this stage. The 69-run stand off 45 balls is snapped, and RCB slip to 138 for 4.

Sophie Devine to Richa Ghosh, Swing and a miss. Length ball outside off, Ghosh throws her hands at it but fails to connect.

Sophie Devine to Gautami Naik, A bit short and on off, Naik stays back and forces it to long on, for one.

Sophie Devine to Richa Ghosh, Angling down the leg side, on a length, Richa helps it through square leg for a run.

Sophie Devine to Richa Ghosh, Four byes! That has gone through everyone. Full toss, close to off, Richa walks forward for a big shot but misses and it goes through Mooney, for a boundary behind. Bonus runs.

Sophie Devine to Gautami Naik, Walks down the track to a length ball and knocks it towards long on for one.

Strategic break. RCB are on the charge now, with two batters well set at the crease. They will be eyeing something close to 190, and the momentum is firmly in their corner. Do remember Nadine De Klerk is yet to come. Gujarat Giants have had issues with the ball, both in the middle phase and at the death, they certainly need to pull up their socks and limit the damage. Sophie Devine to bowl.

Tanuja Kanwer to Richa Ghosh, SIX! Put away. Kanwer still doesn't fire it in, gives it air and serves it on middle, Ghosh goes down and powers it straight down the ground. Clears the fence with ease, 17 runs from the over.

Tanuja Kanwer to Richa Ghosh, Run out chance, missed! Kanwer serves it full and around off, Richa makes room and chips it over extra cover. Sophie Devine collects and throws it towards the bowler who fails to collect otherwise Gautami Naik woould have been a goner.

Tanuja Kanwer to Gautami Naik, Advances down the track and hits it towards long off for one.

Tanuja Kanwer to Richa Ghosh, Mishit. Tossed up, around middle, Ghosh doesn't middle this one and drags it towards wide long on, for a run.

Tanuja Kanwer to Richa Ghosh, SIX! This one has disappeared. Looped up, full and around middle, Ghosh wears her skates and launches it cleanly over long on for a biggie. She is a dangerous batter. The fifty stand is up, off 36 balls.

Tanuja Kanwer is back on.

Tanuja Kanwer to Gautami Naik, Flighted and full, around off, Naik walks forward and forces it to long off for a run.

Kashvee Gautam to Gautami Naik, Fuller and on off, Gautami stays leg side and carves it over wide mid off. It is mopped up by the deep cover fielder. Back-to-back 9-run overs.

Kashvee Gautam to Gautami Naik, Good effort in the field! On a back of a length, on off, punched on the up by Gautami. She manages to beat the diving mid off fielder to her right but the long on fielder gets around and dives to prevent the boundary. Two runs saved.

Kashvee Gautam to Richa Ghosh, Flighted and on middle, this has been lofted down to long on, for a run.

Kashvee Gautam to Richa Ghosh, Short in length and outside off, Richa want to cut but gets a bottom edge behind it.

Kashvee Gautam to Gautami Naik, Full and angled in at the stumps, Gautami gets down on a knee and slogs it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Kashvee Gautam to Gautami Naik, FOUR! Width offered and Gautami cashes in! Short and wide on off, Naik lets the ball come to her and cuts it late to thread the gap between short third and backward point for a four.

Ashleigh Gardner to Richa Ghosh, A massive appeal for LBW! Not given. Ashleigh Gardner has a word with the keeper, Beth Mooney, before going for the review. This is slowed down, slower than the previous ball, on a length, on middle. Ghosh drops on a knee for the sweep but swings early and is beaten. The ball sneaks under the blade and hits her on the crouched back thigh. The UltraEdge shows no bat but the Ball Tracking shows that the ball is spinning past the leg stump.