Georgia Voll Shines with a Stunning 99 as UP Warriors End WPL Campaign on a High Note*
Just over a week ago, Georgia Voll joined UP Warriors as a replacement for Chamari Athapaththu. Despite the short time with the team, Voll made an immediate impact in the third season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
On Saturday, in just her third game, the 21-year-old Australian played a sensational knock of 99* off 56 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Thanks to her explosive innings, UP Warriors posted a massive total of 225/5—the highest-ever score in WPL history. They won by a resounding 12-run margin to cap off an otherwise poor campaign.
They won by a resounding 12-run margin to cap off an otherwise poor campaign.
The match was full of twists and turns, as Richa Ghosh’s blistering 69 off 33 balls and Sneh Rana’s quickfire 26 off just 6 balls kept RCB in the hunt. Even after Ghosh’s dismissal in the 17th over, Rana put up a fight, smashing 28 runs in the final over bowled by Deepti Sharma. However, the Warriors prevailed by remaining composed.
Though UP Warriors were already out of the race for the Eliminator, their strong finish dealt a major blow to RCB’s hopes. The defending champions, Mumbai Indians, will also bid farewell to the tournament after their final league match in Mumbai on Tuesday.
With a strong start, Voll and Grace Harris led their side to a 67/0 powerplay. Eventually, RCB had to rely on a run-out to break the 77-run opening partnership between the two Australians. Kiran Navgire, fueled by the aggressive start, took full advantage and hammered a fiery 46 off 16 balls, including 22 runs in an over bowled by Renuka Singh.
Against an unruly RCB bowling assault, Voll displayed her entire toolkit, effortlessly performing drives, cuts, and a range of conventional and reverse sweeps.
Match Summary:
UP Warriors – 225/5 in 20 overs (Voll 99*, Navgire 46, Harris 39; Wareham 2/43)
RCB – 213 all out in 19.3 overs (Ghosh 69; Ecclestone 3/25, Deepti Sharma 3/50, Chinelle Henry 2/39)
Toss: RCB
Next Match:
Monday – Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants at 7:30 PM