Women's Premier League: Sophia Dunkley, Harleen Deol Go Big To Help GG Reach 201-7 Against RCB

Dunkley smashed 3 sixes and 11 fours, bringing up her half-century in 18 balls, the fastest in WPL, before being dismissed for 65. Harleen took on the attacker's role later on, scoring 67 runs.

PTI

Updated on: 8 March 2023 3:43 pm

While Dunkley, left, fired with 28-ball 65, Harleen scored 67 runs off 45 deliveries.

Sophia Dunkley (65) and Harleen Deol (67) slammed half-centuries to power Gujarat Giants to 201 for 7 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in Mumbai on Wednesday. (More Cricket News)

For the third match in a row, at the Brabourne Stadium here, the RCB bowlers were hammered all over the park with the opposition amassing a total in excess of 200 for the second time.

Dunkley tore into the RCB bowling attack to make 65 off just 28 balls with 11 fours and three sixes, getting her runs at a strike rate of 232.1 at the top. She also recorded the fastest fifty of the WPL so far.

Deol, on the other hand, formed vital partnerships to bring up her maiden WPL fifty, finishing at 67 from 45 balls with nine boundaries and one six.

Deol also got two lifelines late in the innings, with Preeti Bose dropping a tough chance when she was on 61 and Richa Ghosh missing a regulation stumping soon after.

After Sabbhineni Meghana played out a maiden first over, Dunkley got a couple of fours off Perry in the second over and smacked Megan Schutt for consecutive fours in the third over to make a headstart.

Meghana joined in soon, hitting Perry for the third four of the over, but on the last ball, she was caught behind by Richa for an 11-ball 8, which included two fours.

Dunkley unleashed her power game after a slow start, welcoming Renuka Singh with a beautiful lofted six over the cover region.

The England batter took a special liking for Bose, hitting the RCB spinner for four boundaries and a six in the fifth over to collect 23 runs and bring up a stunning 18-ball 50, with the help of nine fours and two sixes.

The right-handed batter continued her assault, hitting a six and a four off Shreyanka Patil to bring up her 50-run stand with Deol off just 26 balls. Patil, however, had Dunkley hitting one straight to Heather Knight at long off to end her innings.

Deol and Ashleigh Gardner (19) then brought up a half-century stand at more than nine runs an over. Deol took charge and picked up from where Dunkley left, hitting Perry for a four over mid-on and getting a six and a four off Schutt in the 12th over.

Knight then dismissed Gardner when she got the Gujarat batter stumped for a 15-ball 19 in the 14th over.

Gardner and Deol added 53 runs off 36 balls for the third wicket.

Dayalan Hemalatha (16) and Annabel Sutherland (14) added some valuable runs in quick time to help Gujarat cross 200-run mark.