UPW vs GGW: GG Chase Down Their First Win Of WPL

UPW vs GGW: In a convincing win, Gujarat Giants won by a comfortable six wickets over UP Warriorz in their second home match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025. The game witnessed exceptional performances from Priya Mishra, who took a vital three-wicket haul, and Ashleigh Gardner, who hit a significant 52 runs, as Gujarat chased down a humble target of 144 with 12 balls remaining.

The Giants recovered from their season-opening defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore, staging a far better showing with both bat and ball to register their first tournament points.

UPW vs GGW: Gujarat Giants’ Clinical All-Round Performance

Gujarat Giants’ win was founded on an all-round team effort in which both bowlers and batsmen performed their assigned tasks to perfection. Priya Mishra was in command with the ball, claiming three wickets and turning the game around with crucial dismissals.

Along with that, Gardner’s solid batting, supported by Deandra Dottin and Harleen Deol’s effort, turned the chase of 144 into a cakewalk. The Giants were dominating throughout the game, with great fielding and strategic bowling guaranteeing a comfortable victory.

Ashleigh Gardner’s Most Important Fifty Steers the Chase

Following the early dismissal of Beth Mooney and D Hemalatha, Gujarat Giants were left at a vulnerable 2 for 2. But captain Ashleigh Gardner rose to the occasion yet again, as she did in the tournament’s opening match, to steady the innings. After her unbeaten 79 against RCB, Gardner showed her aggressive but calm batting as she made an instant impact.

She started with back-to-back fours from debutant Kranti Goud and went on to rule supreme, especially over Saima Thakor, who was dispatched for two sixes in an over by Gardner. Gardner’s skill at sweeping full tosses to the boundaries and sending the ball out of the park was seen as she hit her fifty off only 28 balls.

Her innings consisted of five fours and three sixes, and her 55-run alliance with Laura Wolvaardt was the key to progressing the chase. Having a strike rate of 195.52, Gardner is now the tournament’s top run-scorer with 131 runs under her belt from two matches.

Deandra Dottin’s Power-Hitting and All-Round Impact

After Gardner’s exit in the 12th over, Deandra Dottin took guard to carry on with the run chase with a fiery attitude.
58 runs were required off 49 deliveries, and Dottin did not waste any time, going over midwicket for a six off Alana King on her first ball.

She went on to taunt the Warriorz bowlers, scoring two more fours off Tahlia McGrath in the subsequent over, and relaxed the pressure on the Giants. Dottin ended up with a scorching 33 runs off 18 balls, three fours, and two sixes, as she and Deol cruised the Giants to a comfortable win. Dottin was also instrumental with the ball, getting rid of Kiran Navgire at the beginning of the second over with an inswinger, and then getting rid of Uma Chetry in the 10th over, as Gujarat kept control of the game.

Priya Mishra’s Game-Changing Spell

Though the batting was spectacular, it was the timely bowling show by Priya Mishra that tilted the scales in Gujarat’s direction. As Warriorz were cruising along at 73 for 3 halfway through, Mishra’s three-ball magic reversed the momentum in the game. In a magical three-ball rampage, Mishra sent both Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris back in quick succession.

She then bowled a beautifully camouflaged googly to McGrath that struck her on the inside edge and broke her stumps, and then there was a flighted googly to Harris, who missed a slog and got bowled out. Mishra’s spell left Warriorz stunned and made sure that they would never be able to stage a comeback to score a fighting total. Her display was rewarded by a thunder of cheers, the turning point in the game.

Warriorz Struggle to Build Partnerships

Batting first, UP Warriorz could not establish any major partnerships. Despite the initial disappointments, the new captain Deepti Sharma played a determined innings, getting 39 from 27 deliveries. She made good use of her sweep shots to keep the scoreboard moving and added 51 runs with Uma Chetry to steady the innings.

Mishra’s blows, along with the lack of support at the other end, kept the Warriorz in control. Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh, who had started the innings, were out early, and while Chetry scored a few boundaries, the Warriorz could never really come back. While there were late runs from Thakor and King, Warriorz had scored a below-par 143/9, which was always going to be tough to defend against a strong Gujarat Giants lineup.

Sophie Ecclestone’s Battle with Laura Wolvaardt

Perhaps the most intriguing encounter of the game was between England’s Sophie Ecclestone and Gujarat’s Laura Wolvaardt.
Ecclestone, who had been in fine touch, produced a tight spell, able to get rid of Wolvaardt in the ninth over. Wolvaardt, who had been eager to take on Ecclestone by charging down the wicket, was left at sea by the subtle variations that the English bowler came up with.

Ecclestone concluded with remarkable figures of 2 for 16, but even her efforts were not enough to prevent the Giants from chasing down the target easily.

Gujarat Giants ultimately demonstrated an all-round performance, both with the bat and ball, to easily chase down a humble total of 144. Priya Mishra’s match-winning spell with the ball and Ashleigh Gardner’s consistent fifty were the pick of the match.

Deandra Dottin’s rapid knock and Harleen Deol’s contributions also made sure that Gujarat finished the chase with 12 balls to spare. UP Warriorz, in spite of some impressive individual efforts, could not match the all-round prowess of Gujarat Giants, who recovered impressively from the loss on the opening day.

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