Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry both scored fifties, which helped RCB end their Bengaluru leg with a win

Only Healy presented a challenge in Warriorz's pursuit, but the spinners turned the match in RCB's favour.

Did a grin or a grimace spread across Ellyse Perry's face as the sound of smashing glass and screaming RCB fans rang in her ears? Surely a grin, as she had just smashed her fourth six of remarkable innings, obliterating the window of a sponsor's car. Her performance helped her team achieve a mammoth total and ultimately secure victory over UP Warriorz.

Smriti Mandhana had already dominated the Warriorz bowlers with her impressive 80 off 50 deliveries, her second half-century in three games. Perry then delivered the decisive blow with a 37-ball 58, and the pair shared a 95-run stand for the second wicket, setting a challenging victory target of 199 for Warriorz.

Alyssa Healy's determined knock of 55 off 38 balls gave the Warriorz hope, but it was not enough as RCB held on to break a two-game losing streak in their last home match in Bengaluru before the tournament moves to Delhi. This victory gave Perry and her team plenty to smile about.

Mandhana's brilliance

S Meghana opened ahead of Sophie Devine and quickly scored 28 runs off 21 balls with five fours, complementing Mandhana's efficient scoring. By the end of the powerplay, RCB was flying at 57 for 1. However, Meghana was caught by Chamari Athapaththu at extra cover after skying Anjali Sarvani's delivery. Perry replaced Meghana, while Devine remained in the dugout. RCB continued to play with their batting order.

Mandhana could have been dismissed on 28 when she lofted Sophie Ecclestone down the ground, but Athapaththu missed what should have been an easy catch and looked visibly disappointed. She sprinted in from long-off and then had to reach overhead but failed to hold on. Mandhana advanced down the pitch and punched a Rajeshwari Gayakwad delivery over extra cover for a 75m six, bringing her score to 48. She reached her half-century off 34 balls by swinging Grace Harris away through midwicket for a single. Perry also hit a maximum off Harris over wide long-on. Mandhana picked up three boundaries in one Athapaththu over, followed by three more off Sarvani, and Perry added one, leaving UP Warriorz struggling.

Smashing by Perry

When Mandhana was caught out at deep midwicket by Deepti Sharma in the 17th over, RCB had already reached a comfortable 146 for 2 thanks to the efforts of Mandhana and Perry. Gayakwad gave away 21 runs in the 18th over, mainly due to Perry hitting back-to-back sixes followed by a maximum from Richa Ghosh, who came in at No. 4. Perry completed her fifty off 34 balls by charging at Deepti and hitting the ball back over the bowler's head for four. But the highlight came two balls later when she lofted Deepti over wide long-on, the ball having to be fished out of a mound of glass on the back seat of the promotional car, leaving Warriorz with a mountain to climb. Perry fell to Poonam Khemnar at deep midwicket off an Ecclestone delivery in the final over. Ghosh smashed the last ball of the innings through backward point for four as RCB finished just short of 200.

Warriors, come out and fight

Warriorz started their pursuit after a maiden from Renuka Singh. Healy hit two sixes off Devine in the second over, and Renuka conceded an eye-watering 24 off the next. Devine managed to get Kiran Navgire caught by Georgia Wareham running back from mid-on in the fifth over. But by the end of the powerplay, Warriorz were just one run behind RCB's total at the same point in their innings. Healy hit leg-spinner Wareham's first ball for six with a slog sweep but was left stunned when RCB removed Athapaththu on review. Healy shouted, 'no way' when ball-tracking showed the ball pitching in on the leg stump and hitting the middle stump halfway up, contrary to the expected path of a conventional leg-spinner.

Harris came to the crease relaxed and smiling. But Devine claimed her second wicket with a slower length ball. Harris tried to scoop the ball but Ghosh anticipated her shot, moved to her left, and leapt high to take an excellent catch. Undeterred, Healy hit three consecutive fours off Wareham's next over. Asha Sobhana, who had taken a five-for in the first meeting of 2024 between these sides and helped RCB win by two runs, struck early in the match to dismiss Shweta Sehrawat. Alyssa Healy completed her half-century in just 34 balls with a boundary through midwicket off Asha. But her joy was short-lived as she got out on the very next ball, stumped by Ghosh after hitting a reverse sweep off Sophie Molineux.

Asha succeeds once more

With 52 runs required from the final four overs, Warriorz showed resilience as Deepti and Khemnar played crucial innings in a 41-run partnership for the sixth wicket. They both hit four fours and a six each, scoring 33 and 31 respectively. While trying to chase down the target, Deepti advanced down the pitch to Asha and mistimed the shot, resulting in a skied catch. Asha and Ekta Bisht, the latter making her WPL debut at the age of 38, both attempted to catch the ball. Asha managed to hold on despite becoming entangled with her teammate and falling to the ground. Wareham soon removed Ecclestone, but Khemnar refused to give up, ending the over with a four and a six. With 29 runs needed from the final over, the task proved too difficult. Molineux bowled Khemnar with the final ball of the match, and Asha, Wareham, Devine, and Molineux all finished with two wickets each.