Gardner's all-round show, Priya's three-wicket haul power GG to six-wicket win over UPW
Vadodara, Feb 16 (PTI): Skipper Ashleigh Gardner starred with both bat and ball, leading Gujarat Giants to a comprehensive six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in their Women's Premier League match here on Sunday.
Gardner (2/39) claimed two wickets and then scored a stylish 32-ball 52, her second consecutive fifty, as Gujarat registered their first win of the third edition of the tournament, following a loss in the opening game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Opting to bowl, Gujarat produced a clinical effort with young spinner Priya Mishra returning impressive figures of 4-0-25-3. Skipper Gardner, Deandra Dottin (2/34), and Kashvee Gautam (1/15) also played key roles in restricting UPW to 143 for nine.
Chasing 144 to win, the Giants were reduced to 22 for 2 with opener Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalata back in the pavilion after UPW introduced spin at both ends. However, Gardner produced an inspired knock, adding 55 runs off 42 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (22) to resurrect the innings.
Gardner struck two fours off Kranti Goud to ease the pressure before depositing Saima Thakor twice into the stands in the fifth over. Wolvaardt also hit a six, as 20 runs came off the over, taking GG to 41 for 2 in six overs.
The GG skipper blasted five fours and three sixes before being dismissed by Tahila McGrath in the 12th over.
However, it had little effect as Harleen Deol (34) and Dottin (33) added 58 runs off 37 balls to take Gujarat home with two overs to spare.
Earlier, UPW skipper Deepti Sharma top-scored with a 27-ball 39, while Uma Chetry (24) and Shweta Sehrawat (16) made useful contributions in the middle-order. Alana King (19) and Saima Thakor (15) combined for a late surge, adding 26 runs off 13 balls to take UPW past 140.
Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh were dismissed cheaply by Dottin and Gardner as the Warriorz struggled early on. UPW were reduced to 22 for 2 by the third over, with Navgire trapped in front by Dottin and Dinesh was cleaned up by Gardner.
Chetry and Deepti tried to rebuild but were limited by tight bowling from the Gujarat team, with UPW managing just 41 for 2 in the powerplay. Their partnership of 50 runs off 43 balls was broken by Dottin, who removed Chetry.
Mishra then struck twice in three balls, removing Australians Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris to break UPW's back, leaving them at 78 for 5 in the 11th over.
Sehrawat and Deepti attempted a recovery, but Gardner's sensational catch accounted for Deepti as UPW slumped to 117 for 8 by the 18th over.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
