Vadodara, Feb 14 (IANS): The Gujarat Giants started the 2025 Women’s Premier League campaign on the front foot, reaching a massive total of 201/5, their joint-highest score in the tournament, against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Kotambi Stadium here on Friday. The Giants were struggling for runs before skipper Ashleigh Gardner decided to take matters into her own hands by scoring an unbeaten 79, at a strike rate of 213.51, to take her team past the 200-run mark.

Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt, the duo who stitched a 140-run partnership against RCB in 2024, began the proceedings for the hosts with Renuka Singh being handed the responsibility with the new ball. Mooney did not take too long to get things underway smashing Renuka for a four through the cap towards backward point on just the second ball of the match.

Wolvaardt also got the ball rolling with a similar shot in the second over against Kim Garth to score her first, and only, boundary of the match. However, the fabled Proteas batter departed soon after.

Skipper Smriti Mandhana continued with Renuka for the third straight over and the decision paid off as the pacer struck timber on the third ball of the fifth over. A ball that was always nipping back tempted Wolvaardt to play across the line but a thick inside edge saw the ball crash into the middle stump.

Dayalan Hemalatha also survived an LBW shout on the very next ball as the slower delivery caught her by surprise. Despite Renuka’s keen interest in taking the review, Smriti correctly decided against it with the height of the ball not in their favour.

Hemalatha struggled to get going and was dismissed shortly after at the hands of Kanika Ahuja who claimed the scalp in her first over. A fuller delivery outside off-stump led to her dismissal as an outside edge saw Prema Rawat get a simple catch at backward point.

Mooney on the other hand continued pacing towards her 50 and reached the milestone in 37 deliveries. She was joined by Gardner, who is taking part in her first game as captain of the Giants. The duo slowly rotated the strike until the 10th over when Mooney targetted Georgia Wareham, in her first over, with three consecutive boundaries. Gardner soon joined the party when she danced the pitch to send Kanika’s ball over long-off for the first six of the game.

Mooney’s time at the crease came to an end in the next over with debutant Prema picking her first scalp for RCB. The Aussie batter hit a sweep straight to midwicket to hand Smriti a simple catch. Deandra Dottin, playing her first game for the Giants, joined the skipper and stitched together a 67-run stand to get their team back on track.

Gardner’s onslaught began in the 15th over when she struck Prema for three consecutive sixes over long-off, mid-wicket, and deep square-leg respectively. Deandra also supported her captain by smashing three consecutive boundaries off Georgia in the next over.

Smriti trusted Renuka once again with the ball as she brought in her most reliable bowler for her last over and she repaid with the wicket of Dottin. Gardner was not to be stopped as she proceeded to hit three sixes against V.J. Joshitha in the 18th over. Gardner ended the innings unbeaten at 79, off just 37 deliveries, with three boundaries and eight sixes to her name. She fell one short of tying the record for most sixes by an individual in a WPL game.

Brief scores:

Gujarat Giants 201/5 in 20 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 79 not out, Beth Mooney 56, Deandra Dottin 25; Renuka Singh 2-25, Kanika Ahuja 1-19,) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru.