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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Siddaramaiah in 'helpless situation', under some 'compulsion', claims Cong MLA Rajanna
_vb_05.jpeg)
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.
The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.
Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.
"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."
When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."
"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.
The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.
Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"
Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."
"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.
Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.
"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.
_vb_92.jpeg)
_vb_68.jpeg)