Gardner''s 46 lifts GG to competitive 167/4 against MI

Skipper Ashleigh Gardners counter-attacking 46 off 28 balls rescued Gujarat Giants from a mid-innings slump to a competitive 167 for four against Mumbai Indians in their Women Premier League match here on Friday. After a steady powerplay that saw them reach 481, Gujarat struggled to accelerate with Amelia and Shabnim tightening the screws through disciplined spells and dot balls.

Skipper Ashleigh Gardner's counter-attacking 46 off 28 balls rescued Gujarat Giants from a mid-innings slump to a competitive 167 for four against Mumbai Indians in their Women Premier League match here on Friday. Opting to bat, Giants looked in trouble after losing two set batters -- Anushka Sharma (33) and Sophie Devine (25) -- for the addition of just two runs as the run-rate dipped sharply with disciplined bowling from Amelia Kerr (2/26) and Shabnim Ismail (1/29). After a steady powerplay that saw them reach 48/1, Gujarat struggled to accelerate with Amelia and Shabnim tightening the screws through disciplined spells and dot balls. With momentum slipping away, skipper Ashleigh turned the tide dramatically in the 16th over, taking Hayley Matthews to the cleaners for 19 runs. She began with a powerful hit over deep midwicket and followed it up with three consecutive boundaries. She then attacked Shabnim, smashing four boundaries in a 17-run over. The onslaught spoiled Shabnim's otherwise economical spell after conceding just 12 runs in her first three overs. The New Zealand leg-spinner Kerr, however, had the final say, deceiving the GG skipper in flight with a fuller delivery that led to a sharp stumping to end her onslaught. Gardner struck seven fours and a six in her brisk knock as GG struck 61 runs in the last five overs. The match is their final league fixture and effectively a virtual quarterfinal, with the winners set to advance to Tuesday's Eliminator.

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