Gardner, bowlers condemn RCB to third straight loss

RCB’s Struggles Continue as Gujarat Giants Secure Comfortable Victory

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) wait for their first home win of the season extended as the Gujarat Giants, led by a brilliant Ashleigh Gardner, handed them a third consecutive defeat. Despite starting the season with two wins, RCB’s home performances have faltered, and they were left frustrated by another poor batting display.

Key Highlights:

• RCB’s Batting Collapse: Chasing a modest target of 126, RCB’s batting crumbled under pressure, finishing with just 125/7 in their 20 overs.
• Ashleigh Gardner’s Masterclass: Gardner led the Gujarat Giants to victory with a stunning 58, taking control of the chase and dominating RCB’s bowlers.
• Renuka Singh’s Early Breakthroughs: Renuka bowled brilliantly, picking up two key wickets early in the innings and putting RCB on the backfoot.
• Gujarat Giants’ Comfortable Win: Despite a watchful start, Gujarat Giants wrapped up the chase in just 16.3 overs, winning by 6 wickets with 21 balls to spare.

RCB’s Batting Struggles:

• Poor Start: RCB were off to a disastrous start after being asked to bat first. Danielle Wyatt-Hodge was dismissed early, followed by a rare failure from Ellyse Perry, who was trapped LBW.
• Pressure on Mandhana: Smriti Mandhana struggled throughout her innings, managing just 10 runs from 19 balls before falling cheaply.
• Middle-Order Collapse: At 26/3 after the powerplay, RCB’s middle order failed to build any meaningful partnerships. A late boost came from Kanika Ahuja (33), but RCB were unable to post a competitive total.

Gujarat Giants’ Clinical Chase:

• Renuka’s Early Breakthroughs: RCB’s hopes were briefly revived with Renuka Singh’s impressive spell, which included the stumping of D Hemalatha and the dismissal of Beth Mooney.
• Ashleigh Gardner’s dominance: Gardner came in and immediately put RCB on the backfoot, smashing 4 fours and a six off Prema Rawat’s bowling. She went on to score a crucial 58, ensuring the chase was comfortably completed.
• Phoebe Litchfield’s Quickfire 30: Litchfield played a valuable cameo, taking advantage of a dropped chance and collecting a couple of boundaries before Gardner sealed the win.

RCB’s Fielding Setbacks:

• Dropped Chances: RCB’s fielding woes continued with Richa Ghosh missing an outside edge, which allowed Litchfield to score freely.
• Run Out of Raghvi Bist: The biggest blow came when Raghvi Bist, after a dropped catch, was run out in a reckless attempt to take a quick single.

Final Scores:

• RCB: 125/7 in 20 overs (Kanika Ahuja 33; Tanuja Kanwar 2/16, Deandra Dottin 2/31)
• Gujarat Giants: 126/4 in 16.3 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 58, Phoebe Litchfield 30*; Renuka Singh 2/24)
• Result: The Gujarat Giants won by 6 wickets.

Summary:
RCB’s struggles with the bat continued as they failed to put up a challenging total against the Gujarat Giants, who made light work of the chase. Ashleigh Gardner’s explosive batting and Renuka Singh’s early breakthroughs were the difference, leading Gujarat to a dominant 6-wicket win.