Two groups occupying the fourth and fifth positions on the factors desk will conflict within the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Friday as Alyssa Healy-led UP Warriorz tackle Beth Mooney-led Gujarat Giants at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Warriorz will come into the match on a excessive after registering their first victory of the season towards the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday.
The efficiency of Indian batter Kiran Navgire, who was promoted to open the innings, proved to be a masterstroke for the Healy-led facet because the right-hander smashed a quickfire half-century and helped the facet chase down the rating of 162 runs set by MI with relative ease and get the much-required two factors on the board.
WPL 2024 – FULL COVERAGE | SCHEDULE | RESULTS | POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAP
Each of the 5 bowlers utilized by Healy on Wednesday took one wicket apiece, with spinners Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone rising essentially the most economical of the lot.
The Warriorz will, nonetheless, look to place in an improved fielding efficiency on Friday in a bid to make sure that their probabilities of profitable a second match in a row are usually not diminished. They is perhaps pressured to make one change to their XI that gained on Wednesday, after Indian batter Vrinda Dinesh sustained a shoulder damage whereas fielding within the first innings towards MI and needed to be rushed to the hospital for scans.
The Gujarat Giants have had a starting to overlook to the 2024 WPL, having misplaced each their matches convincingly to reigning champions Mumbai Indians and hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The key issue to their disappointing outings to this point has been their batting within the Powerplay, the place they’ve didn’t get going and put stress on the remainder of the batters to get them to a defendable rating.
Skipper Beth Mooney has had two completely different opening companions in Veda Krishnamurthy and Harleen Deol in each the matches and may want to contemplate a 3rd completely different companion for the match on Friday and embody South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt within the taking part in XI so as to add some expertise at the highest.
Another key issue for GG’s poor batting exhibits to this point has been the efficiency of southpaw Phoebe Litchfield, who has discovered it tough to get going within the event and might want to ship the products on Friday for the facet to place themselves able to say their first factors of the second season.
The one constructive for GG in each fixtures has been the efficiency of left-arm wrist spinner Tanuja Kanwer, who has dismissed key opposition gamers to supply a glimmer of hope for Mooney and her facet.
It will, nonetheless, require extra than simply the odd good particular person efficiency on Friday for GG to register their first win and get off the mark on the factors desk.
What: UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants, Match 8, Women’s Premier League 2024
When: March 1, 2024, 7:30 PM IST
Where: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Likely taking part in XIs
The Warriorz will look to play the identical XI that defeated MI on Wednesday and hope to construct momentum to their event with a second consecutive victory.
UPW: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Shweta Sehrawat, Poonam Khemnar, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor.
GG may need to make one particular change and herald Wolvaardt for Lea Tahuhu and strengthen their batting at the highest to make sure they’ll get off to an excellent begin.
GG: Beth Mooney (c & wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Veda Krishnamurthy, Dayalan Hemalatha, Ashleigh Gardner, Kathryn Bryce, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Meghna Singh.
