WPL 2025: Gardner Delighted with Team's Performance and Style of Play
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Synopsis
In Vadodara, the Gujarat Giants bounced back from a disappointing loss against RCB to secure a significant victory over UP Warriorz. Captain Ashleigh Gardner praised her team's performance and highlighted individual contributions, particularly from Priya Mishra and Deandra Dottin, demonstrating their commitment to their desired playing style.
Key Takeaways
- Gujarat Giants achieve a comeback win against UP Warriorz.
- Ashleigh Gardner emphasizes the importance of their playing style.
- Young Priya Mishra shines with a performance of 3-25.
- Deandra Dottin plays a crucial role in the chase.
- UP Warriorz need to improve their batting performance.
Vadodara, Feb 16 (NationPress) Despite scoring 201, the Gujarat Giants faced a gut-wrenching six-wicket defeat in their season opener at the WPL against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, they quickly overcame that disappointment to secure a six-wicket victory against a struggling UP Warriorz.
Ashleigh Gardner, the captain of GG and the Player of the Match, attributed the win to the team embracing the style of cricket they aspire to play this season. "I’m very pleased. We weren't too far off in the previous game. To come out and play the brand of cricket we envisioned feels special. There are always areas for improvement. Our bowlers delivered a fantastic performance,” she remarked during the post-match ceremony.
She also commended the young leg-spinner Priya Mishra for her pivotal spell of 3-25. “Priya Mishra taking three wickets at this stage simplifies captaincy. I feel I may have missed out a bit in these two games. I also bowled a bit fast, causing the ball to run away on these fields.”
Ashleigh further discussed how each player’s unique batting style contributed to their high scores. “Everyone has their own batting technique. Dottin clears her front leg and hits massive sixes. Harleen is precise and waits for the right ball. I’m somewhere in between. Mooney and Wolvaardt set the stage for me to come in.”
Deandra, who scored an impressive 33 not out off 18 balls and took 2-32 with the ball, shared her strategy for dismissing the aggressive Kiran Navgire and her intention to finish the chase stylishly. "Regarding Navgire's wicket, I recalled the final of the Women's T20 Challenge and how I bowled to her. I came here and executed my plan.”
“I felt they were 20-30 runs short, so we were confident in chasing the 140 runs they set. Honestly, I aimed to finish it. It was about watching the ball and hitting it hard. I believe I was the missing piece for the WPL overall.”
“It’s always gratifying to participate in the women's IPL and contribute to GG’s success. This year, I’m focusing on consistency and performance. I don’t believe we were anxious. Our captain Ash was in form. We assessed the pitch early and felt no pressure. It was about applying pressure on the UP Warriorz.”
Deepti Sharma’s first match as UPW captain resulted in a disappointing defeat, and she emphasized the need for the batters to elevate their game to recover from this loss to GG in future matches. "Based on how the track played, our batting unit should have performed better. If we had managed to build a partnership in the middle, we could have reached 170-180.”
“We have a solid bowling lineup, and as a unit, we performed well. There was dew, and given how the track played, our bowlers did commendably. However, as a batting unit, we struggled to execute according to our field placements. If we can improve on that, it will benefit us greatly.”
