Who is playing
UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants
Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, 7.30pm Ist
What to expect: small space for error
Warriorz is playing his last three league games this season at the Ekana Stadium and will be anxious to maximize the advantage of the house. His last match against the Mumbai Indians saw Warriorz Rejig his batting alignment with the opening of Grace Harris with Kiran Navirare and Vrinda Dineh going down to No.3. The movement seemed to work with Harris and Dineh intervening with crucials 46 and 33 respectively. However, they have fought to capitalize on the beginning with the bat and have left it too late for a lower order of Chinelle Henry and Sophie Ecclestone or ended with totals below the pair. The overs medium is the phase in which they are more vulnerable and giants could seek to exploit that. Warriorz has lost most Wickts (24) in the media (7 to 16) in this WPL so far and has also been the slowest (6.72) in that phase.
For the giants, while the Bowling Department is largely ordered in terms of roles clarity, there are still questioning signs about their superior order. They have used three different opening pairs in five games, with only Beth Mooney, staying the only constant in the upper part. D Hemalatha hit the number 3 in the first three games in Vadodara was retired after Low scored before being promoted to open against RCB. Harleen Deol began this season in the average order and then opened with Mooney before he was asked to beat at number 3 in his previous game. The giants, however, have strengthened their average order by making the left -handed PHOEBE Litchfield along with two stars, Ash Gardner and Deandra Dottin. Litchfield also played at number 3 for a game before moving on No. 5 against me, where he looked comfortable, scoring 30 undefeated.
UP Warriorz LWL (last three games, more recent first)
Gujarat giants Wll
Lucknow’s surface is generally known to help the most slow bowling players. Warriorz could be tempted to play an extra roulette in Alana King and release Tahlia McGrath, who has been fighting Bat and Ball this season.
UP Warriorz (Probably XI): 1 Kiran Navirare, 2 Grace Harris, 3 Vrinda Dineh, 4 Decepti Sharma (Capt), 5 Shweta Sehrawat, 6 Uma Chetry (WK), 7 Chinelle Henry, 8 Saima Thakor, 9 Alana King, 10 Sophie Ecclestone, 11 Kranti GOU
Giants are likely to adhere to XI himself.
Gujarat giants (Probably XI): 1 Beth Mooney (WK), 2 D Hemalatha, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ash Gardner (Capt), 5 Phoebe Litchfield, 6 Deandra Dottin, 7 Kashvee Gautam, 8 Bharti Fulmali, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 PRI MISHRA
