WPL 2025 Match Review: Beth Mooney, bowlers lead Gujarat Giants Women to emphatic victory

Gujarat Giants Women emerged as deserved victors by an 81-run margin over UP Warriorz Women in Match 15 of the Women's Premier League 2025 at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, March 3. As a result of the crushing defeat, the hosts slipped to the bottom of the points table.

Dayalan Hemalatha's lean run in WPL 2025 continued as she nicked one behind on the final delivery of the first over of the game to grant instant success to the home team. Gujarat's innings yielded only 40 runs in the powerplay. It was the six overs after that stage where Beth Mooney and Harleen Deol (45 off 32) steadied the ship to a relatively more comfortable position. Harleen was got rid in the 13th over, serving as a much-needed breakthrough for UP.

Mooney raced to 85 by the end of the 16th over, skipper Ashleigh Gardner providing her company at the other end. Although Kranti Goud's final over was an expensive one, it resulted in the departure of Gardner. Deandra Dottin's handy cameo came to an end in the 18th. Mooney was left stranded unbeaten on 96, the main reason being the wicketkeeper-batter facing only four deliveries in the final two overs of Gujarat's innings. Sophie Ecclestone ended up with a two-fer to her name.    

The second innings commenced in a terrible manner for UP with the wickets of Kiran Navgire and WPL debutant, Georgia Voll, in the very first over. Their powerplay was further dented with an additional couple of wickets falling in the phase. Opening batter Grace Harris, who had been watching the chaos unfold from the other end, was sent back on the final delivery of the 10th over. Chinelle Henry, who proved to be the most economical bowler for UP replaced Harris in the middle.

Also Check - Video of the Day: Deandra Dottin's first over double strike derails UP Warriorz chase

A 17-run over by Meghna Singh, the 13th of the innings, was when Henry garnered almost half of her explosive 14-ball 28-run knock's runs. A double-wicket over by Kashvee Gautam brought about the eighth and ninth wickets of UP's innings. Tanuja Kanwar cleaned up Ecclestone in the next over to seal the deal for Gujarat.

The massive victory marked only the second time in 15 games this season that the side batting first was successful in defending the target. The loss by 81 runs stood second in the biggest margins of losses by runs in the history of the WPL.