RCB vs GG, WPL 2023: 3 moments that generated buzz among fans in Match 16
It rained fours and sixes at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai when the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) locked horns with the Gujarat Giants (GG) in the 16th match of the Women's Premier League (WPL 2023) on Saturday.
GG won the toss and decided to bat first. They registered an impressive score of 188, thanks to Laura Wolvaardt's 64-run knock. However, RCB made a mockery of the target, chasing it down in just 15.3 overs to claim a stunning eight-wicket win.
Sophie Devine starred with the bat for RCB in what was a do-or-die game, missing out on a well-deserved century by just one run. The swashbuckling batter scored 99 runs off just 36 deliveries, shifting the momentum in her side's favor.
Gujarat bowlers looked clueless against the onslaught. RCB kept their qualification hopes alive with the win. With two wins from seven games, they are now fourth in the WPL points table.
GG have also managed two victories from seven fixtures but are languishing at the bottom of the standings because of their net run rate.
Let's take a look at the top three moments from the enthralling match that created a lot of buzz among the fans.
#1 Sophie Devine gets out on 99 in heartbreaking fashion
RCB's Sophie Devine stole the show with their batting exploits in the encounter. The right-handed batter kept the opposition bowlers under pressure by upping the ante right from the start.
The 33-year-old seemed all set to become the first player to score a century in the WPL. She attempted to go over the mid-off fielder off Kim Garth's bowling when she was on 99.
WHAT. AN. INNINGS. 🔥
The whole stadium applauds! We are in disbelief but Sophie has to depart. 💔
#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SheIsBold #WPL2023 #RCBvGG https://t.co/JRWFztHO1i
However, she did not get enough elevation and failed to clear the fielder. Ashwani Kumari completed a fine catch to end Devine's entertaining innings. Notably, had she successfully gone over the in-field, she would have equalled her own record of hitting the fastest century (36 balls) in the Women's T20s.
It is worth mentioning that she hit the highest-ever individual score in the WPL, eclipsing Alyssa Healy, who remained unbeaten on 96 in the match between RCB and UP Warriorz (UPW).
#2 Dayalan Hemalatha and Harleen Deol score 22 runs off Megan Schutt's over
Dayalan Hemalatha and Harleen Deol helped GG finish with a flurry. The duo amassed 22 runs against Megan Schutt in the 20th over.
Deol hit a four and six off back-to-back deliveries before taking a single and handing the strike to Hemalatha, who also chipped in with a four and a six off the last two deliveries.
At one stage, it seemed as if Gujarat would finish with a total of 170-odd runs. However, the two batters came up with a stellar performance against Schutt, taking their total to 188.
#3 Sophie Devine hits the longest six in WPL
Tanuja Kanwar was on the receiving end of Sophie Devine's rampage in the ninth over of the RCB run chase. The Kiwi batter hit three sixes and a four in the over.
Devine dazzled viewers with a 94-meter six, the biggest of the tournament so far. She advanced down the track against the spinner and clobbered it over the leg-side boundary for a stunning six.
That was simply one of the most devastating displays of batting I have seen. That 94 metre six! Sophie Devine has played the innings of the tournament and in doing so, has told us what is possible.
Kanwar conceded 25 runs, making it the most expensive over in the WPL. Following the match-winning knock, Devine also became the leading run-getter of the season.