WPL 2025: Priya Mishra, Gardner guide Gujarat to 1st win of season vs UP Warriorz

Gujarat Giants finally got their first win of the Women’s Premier League 2025 (WPL 2025) under their belt as they beat UP Warriorz by six wickets in Match 3 on Sunday, February 16 at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. After being put in to bat first, Warriorz tottered their way to a score of 143/9 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, Gujarat chased down the target in 18 overs as Ashleigh Gardner hit her second successive half century (52 off 32).

Gujarat’s chase got off to worst possible start as they lost the big wicket of Beth Mooney in the first over itself, who holed out to mid on for a golden duck against Grace Harris. At the other end, Sophie Ecclestone also struck in her first over, dismantling Dayalan Hemalatha’s (0 off 3) stumps to get Gujarat’s defence



off to a perfect start.

Despite losing two early wickets, captain Asheigh Gardner was in no mood to settle down and broke the shackles with a couple of boundaries against Kranti Goud in the third over. She got the support of Laura Wolvaardt, who scored her first boundary against Ecclestone in the next over and later took on Saima Thakor along with Gardner as the duo smacked three sixes in her over.

Courtesy of their counter-attack, Gujarat chase was back on track courtesy of a half century partnership (55 off 42) between Gardner and Wolvaardt. Just when the game looked to be slipping away from UP, the golden arm of Ecclestone helped them make a comeback as she dismantled Wolvaardt’s (22 off 24) stumps to leave Gujarat on 57/3 after 8.3 overs.