In a nail-biting finish, Ellyse Perry’s brilliant unbeaten 90 went to waste as Sophie Ecclestone (33 off 19) produced a stunning performance that left the M Chinnaswamy Stadium buzzing. With the match hanging in the balance, Ecclestone lit up the last over and then delivered a brilliant Super Over, leading UP Warriorz to a memorable victory over RCB, marking the first-ever Super Over in the tournament and handing RCB their second straight loss at home.
The match kicked off with openers Smriti Mandhana and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge playing it a bit safe early on. Grace Harris, who had already made headlines with a hat-trick in UPW’s last match, started her bowling spell with a waist-high full toss that Wyatt-Hodge mercilessly sent over the ropes. But, oh boy, did UPW have their share of fielding blunders, as Wyatt-Hodge was dropped at point not long after. Meanwhile, Mandhana’s struggle against off-spin continued; she was sent back to the pavilion by Deepti Sharma, making it her 11th dismissal against off-spin in the WPL. Tough luck for her!
Enter the in-form Ellyse Perry, who took it upon herself to shift the momentum. She took the attack straight to Ecclestone, hammering two boundaries in the first over and hitting a six off Saima Thakor. Despite the fireworks from Perry, UPW’s bowling was quite formidable in the first ten overs, keeping RCB to just 67 for 1. But as the innings progressed, both Perry and Wyatt-Hodge began to find their rhythm, particularly against Deepti, who was hit for a 14-run over that included a six and a four. Perry reached her fifty with an exquisite straight drive, and they formed a powerful 129-run partnership with Tom Latham.
Wyatt-Hodge also joined the fifty club with a massive six off Ecclestone but fell shortly after, caught at backward-point. RCB’s middle order saw Richa Ghosh try to boost the score with a couple of fours, but she too fell victim, caught off her own bowling by Chinelle Henry. Just when things seemed to be slipping for RCB, Perry ramped up the pressure, hitting Deepti for 16 runs in a single over. However, Ecclestone turned the tables with a superb final over, conceding only 6 runs as RCB finished at 180 for 6.
UPW’s innings began with Kiran Navgire showcasing her skills, hitting boundaries early off Renuka Singh Thakur and making a 16-run dent into Kim Garth’s bowling. Unfortunately, her innings of 24 was cut short by a beautiful in-swinger from Renuka. Deepti, the next batter, continued the aggression, taking on Garth for an expensive 14-run over. But RCB’s spinners were tight on their lines, and it was Sneh Rana who dismissed McGrath for a duck, leaving UPW in a tight spot.
Deepti was on a roll, but just as she looked set to dominate, she fell to a gloved catch to the keeper. Shweta Sehrawat played cautiously while Deepti made the most of her time, but RCB’s bowlers were relentless. However, with UPW losing wickets in quick succession, it looked like they were down for the count. But wait—Ecclestone wasn’t finished yet! With the match seemingly slipping away, she sent two sixes soaring off Georgia Wareham, followed by a clever run-out attempt.
As the tension peaked, UPW needed 18 runs from the final over. Ecclestone was in beast mode, blasting a juicy full-toss over square-leg for a six, then following it up with another massive hit over mid-wicket. With just two runs required off the final two balls, she ran herself out, forcing the game into the Super Over.
In the Super Over, Kim Garth bowled brilliantly, limiting UPW to 8 runs. But the real star was Ecclestone, who turned the pressure into a feather-light performance by conceding only four runs, sealing the win for UP Warriorz in style.
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 180/6 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 90*, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge 57; Tahlia McGrath 1-30, Chinelle Henry 1-34) tied with UP Warriorz 180 in 20 overs (Sophie Ecclestone 33, Shweta Sehrawat 31; Sneh Rana 3-27, Renuka Singh Thakur 2-36) – UP Warriorz won the Super Over.
Super Over: UP Warriorz 8/1 (Chinelle Henry 4, Sophie Ecclestone 1*) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 4/0 (Richa Ghosh 2*, Smriti Mandhana 2*) by 4 runs.
