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Gardner "Angry, Frustrated" as Gujarat Giants' WPL Playoff Hopes Dim

Gujarat Giants suffered a damaging 61-run loss to the in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore, severely denting their Women's Premier League playoff aspirations. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner expressed deep frustration, admitting her team is consistently failing to win the crucial "small moments" in matches. Gardner, who scored a fighting half-century, revealed she was "angry" during her knock, trying to hit the ball too hard amidst the mounting pressure. With Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz having identical records, the final playoff spots remain fiercely contested.

Key Points: WPL: Gardner Frustrated as Gujarat Giants' Playoff Chances Slip

  • GG's 3rd straight loss hurts playoff bid
  • Gardner cites failure in "small moments"
  • RCB seals playoff spot with 5th straight win
  • Tight race for remaining playoff places
2 min read

WPL: GG skipper Gardner "angry, frustrated" at team's incapabilty to win "small moments" as playoff chances slim

GG skipper Ashleigh Gardner vents frustration after loss to RCB, citing failure to win "small moments" as playoff hopes hang by a thread.

"It is pretty frustrating. I just feel we are not winning the small moments. - Ashleigh Gardner"

Vadodara, January 19

After her side's 61-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru to start off the home leg at Vadodara, the Gujarat Giants skipper Ashleigh Gardner admitted to being "frustrated" at not being able to win "small moments" and added that she was angry the whole time she was out in the the middle, trying to hit the ball too hard.

While RCB continued their monumental Women's Premier League (WPL) run with their fifth successive win to reach the playoffs, GG's road to playoffs faced another massive roadblock as they fell to their third successive win after a winning start, slipping to fourth spot in the points table. With the Mumbai Indians (MI) and UP Warriorz (UPW) also having the same win-loss record, the other two playoff spots are yet to be filled.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Gardner, who had hit a fifty, said, "It is pretty frustrating. I just feel we are not winning the small moments. We need to win these last three games, but overall pretty frustrating. If you look at our dismissals, we were going across the line (instead of playing with straight bat). I guess the way we need to go forward is to try and play really straight. A lot of the positive options were down the ground, so you give yourself the best chance even when the ball does stay low.

Speaking on getting the prized wicket of RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana, she pointed it to the good match-up she enjoys against the Indian star.

On her knock, she said, "I was pretty angry out there to be quite honest. I was just really frustrated. I was either hitting good shots to fielders or missing the ball. Upon reflection, I was trying to hit the ball too hard."

Coming to the match, GG opted to field first against RCB. Gautami Naik (73 in 55 balls, with seven fours and a six) had useful partnerships with skipper Smriti (26 in 23 balls, with four boundaries) and Richa Ghosh (27 in 20 balls, with three sixes) as RCB posted 178/6 in 20 overs, with Kashvee Gautam (2/38) and Gardner (2/43) being the top bowlers. During the defence of 179 runs, RCB reduced GG to 48/5. Gardner did score a well-fought 43-ball 54, with five fours and a six, RCB restricted them to 117/8, with Sayali Sathghare (3/21), Nadine de Klerk (2/17) and Lauren Bell (1/23) bowling sensational four-over spells, and Gautami taking the 'Player of the Match' award.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan, I appreciate Gardner's honesty. It's rare to hear a captain admit to being "angry" and "frustrated" in the middle. But the problem seems deeper than just small moments. The team's strategy against RCB's bowling looked shaky from the powerplay itself.
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Priya S
RCB is on fire! Smriti Mandhana's team is peaking at the right time. But full credit to GG's Gardner for that fighting fifty when the top order failed. The Indian players in GG need to step up now. The playoff race is getting very tight! 🏏
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Aman W
Respect to Gardner for speaking her mind. But I have to say, the team management also needs to look at the selection. When your overseas skipper has to carry the batting and bowling, something is off. Where are the consistent Indian performers?
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Kavya N
The match was lost in the first 10 overs of GG's chase. 48/5 is a mountain to climb for anyone. Gardner tried her best, but it was too much. On the bright side, WPL is so competitive this year! Every match matters. 😅
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Michael C
Interesting analysis from Gardner about playing straight. It shows the technical adjustments needed on Indian pitches. RCB's bowlers exploited that perfectly. Gautami Naik was brilliant with both bat and ball - a true all-round performance for the Player of the Match.

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