Gujarat Giants stun MI, reach WPL eliminator despite Harmanpreet Kaur's 82*

With Royal Challengers Bengaluru (six wins and two losses already in the final), Gujarat Giants end at second spot with five wins and three losses. MI, with three wins and five losses, have to pray for a UP Warriorz victory to keep their eliminator chances alive. DC also sits at fourth spot with three wins and four losses, and a loss to bottom-ranked UPW (with two wins and five losses) could knock them out of contention and let MI in, depending on how the net-run-rate mathematics goes.

During the run-chase of 168 runs, Sanjeevan Sajana survived a leg-before-wicket appeal against Renuka Singh on the first ball. Sanjeevan looked in fine touch, with boundaries against Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Renuka.

But it was Sophie Devine who got GG the breakthrough, with an inside edge off Hayley's bat crashing into her stumps, sending her back for eight balls six. MI was 23/1 in 4.3 overs.

Devine and Kashvee Gautam dominated the proceedings with the new ball as Sajeevan (26 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Nat-Sciver Brunt (2) had to take a long walk back to the pavillion, with MI sinking to 37/3 in 6.5 overs.

Amelia Kerr and the skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, had to stitch a partnership for MI, bringing up the 50-run stand in 8.1 overs, and the skipper ended the over with two successive fours against Rajeshwari. At the end of 10 overs, MI was 65/3, with Harmanpreet (19*) and Amelia (10*) unbeaten.

Georgia Wareham ended the partnership, with an edge off Amelia's bat going to Beth Mooney behind the stumps, ending her knock at 20 in 16 balls, with two fours. MI was 82/4 in 11.5 overs.

A six by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur over deep square leg brought up MI's 100-run mark in 14.3 overs. The MI skipper continued to get boundaries against Wareham and Rajeshwari. With a massive sweep for a six over deep square leg, Harman reached her 11th WPL fifty in 34 balls, with six fours and two sixes.

Two quick wickets from Rajeshwari to remove Amanjot (13) and by Wareham to remove Sanskriti Gupta (0) changed the tide in favour of GG, reducing MI to 127/6 in 17.2 overs.

Harmanpreet continued to find boundaries against Sophie, bringing down the equation to 26 runs in the final over. In the final over against Gardner, Harmanpreet found two sixes on the first three balls. But Gardner got the wicket of Poonam Khemnar (2), leaving MI needing 13 in one, an impossible task. MI ended at 156/7, with Harmanpreet unbeaten at 82* in 48 balls, with eight fours and four sixes.

Earlier, a late surge from skipper Ash Gardner and Georgia Wareham helped Gujarat Giants (GG) to a solid 167/4 in 20 overs.

After GG won the toss and opted to bat first, Sophie Devine got a couple of boundaries to kickstart her innings. But the Aussie Beth Mooney just could not keep going and handed a leading edge into the hands of Sajeevan Sajana at mid-wicket for just five runs in eight balls. Shabnim Ismail got the first wicket, with GG at 21/1 in 2.2 overs.

Anushka Sharma, coming at number three, looked in good touch, collecting four boundaries in total against Vaishnavi Sharma. GG ended their powerplay at 48/1, with Anushka (18*) and Sophie (19*) developing a partnership.

Anushka looked in sublime touch, with a flick towards deep square leg for four, bringing GG's fifty in 6.3 overs. The 48-run stand was ended by Amelia Kerr, who got Anushka caught for 31-ball 33, with four boundaries and a six by Shabnim after being hit for a six on the previous ball. GG was 69/2 in 9.3 overs.

Nat-Sciver Brunt started the second half of the innings by getting Sophie for 21-ball 25, with three fours, with Amelia plucking a reverse cupped catch at deep mid-wicket. GG was 71/3 in 10.2 overs.

The captain, Ash Gardner, joined forces with her Aussie teammate Georgia Wareham. The duo took GG to the 100-run mark in 14.4 overs.

In the 16th over, Gardner took charge, starting the Hayley Matthews over with a six over deep mid-wicket and following it with a hat-trick of fours, leaking 19 runs in the process. In the next over by Shabnim, Gardner and Wareham collected two fours each, with 17 more runs coming.

Kerr ended the 71-run stand as a stumping ended Ash's stay for 28-ball 46, with seven fours and a six. GG was 142/4 in 17.2 overs.

In the next over, GG's late surge continued as Wareham smacked Nat-Sciver for a six over deep square leg and then a four over cover, bringing up the 150-run mark in 18.4 overs.

GG ended their innings at 167/4, with Bharti Fulmali (5*) and Wareham (44* in 26 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) unbeaten. A late surge had let them collect 61 runs in the final five overs.

Kerr (2/26) and Shabnim (1/29) delivered top-class four-over spells for MI.

- ANI