Ash Gardner Breaks Record Despite Gujarat Giants’ Loss to RCB
On February 14, Ash Gardner made history during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) even though her team, Gujarat Giants, fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), losing by six wickets. In a standout moment, Gardner dismissed Smriti Mandhana, marking the ninth time she has gotten the better of the Indian vice-captain in Women’s T20s. This achievement surpasses the previous record of eight dismissals held by Nat Sciver-Brunt.
The match took place at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, where RCB was set a target of 202 runs. Gardner’s early breakthrough came when she clean bowled Mandhana LBW, and she also took the wicket of Danni Wyatt-Hodge later in the match. Impressively, Gardner has dismissed Mandhana a total of 15 times throughout their competitive cricket encounters.
In a light-hearted moment after the match, Mandhana was asked if she would treat Gardner to dinner following yet another dismissal. With a smile, Mandhana replied, “I think I have to take her for runs, I think it is time now (laughs).”
RCB’s Remarkable Chase
Despite the loss, Mandhana was thrilled with RCB’s achievement of pulling off the highest successful run-chase in WPL history. Ellyse Perry played a vital role by scoring 56 runs, setting the stage for RCB’s success, while Richa Ghosh shone brightly with an impressive unbeaten 64 runs off just 27 balls. Additionally, Kanika Ahuja, returning from last season, supported Ghosh with an unbeaten 30-run contribution.
Mandhana expressed her joy post-match, stating, “I am really happy that we were on the winning side. The way Richa and Pez (Perry) batted was amazing to watch. They have been doing that in the nets, and it’s great to see it click in the game.”
She also reflected on the bowling challenges they faced, admitting, “After the first innings, we knew it would be tough to bowl, but we always felt we were in the game. We lost our top three wicket-takers from last year, but luckily we had good options coming in.”
Next up, Mandhana and her RCB squad will take on Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals on Monday, February 17, in Vadodara.
