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Ellyse Perry, one of the most reliable batters in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), suffered a rare setback as she was dismissed for a duck for the first time in WPL history.
Ashleigh Gardner removes Ellyse Perry for her first-ever WPL duck
The crucial breakthrough came in the final delivery of the second over, as Gujarat Giants’ (GT) premier all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner struck a major blow to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s batting lineup.
It was a slightly short delivery aimed at the stumps, tempting Perry to go deep in her crease and attempt a pull shot. However, the Australian star failed to generate any timing, and the ball took the top edge, flying straight towards square leg. Tanuja Kanwar positioned herself well under the ball and took a safe, head-high catch, completing a huge wicket for the Giants.
Perry, visibly disappointed, walked back without scoring, knowing how valuable her presence at the crease would have been in a crucial game. Meanwhile, Gardner and the Giants celebrated the massive scalp, recognizing the significance of removing a world-class batter so early in the innings. With Perry’s departure, RCB found themselves in early trouble at 16/2, with the pressure mounting on the middle order to recover from the shaky start.
Here’s the video:
Big wicket for Gujarat Giants! 🔥
Ashleigh Gardner strikes as Ellyse Perry is dismissed! A crucial moment in the game—can they build on this momentum? 👀🏏#WPLOnJioStar 👉 Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Gujarat Giants | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1 & Star Sports 1 Hindi!… pic.twitter.com/t3oLzc8ZS7
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 27, 2025
Also WATCH: Shabnim Ismail knocks over Sophie Ecclestone’s middle stump with an absolute snorter
Gujarat Giants dominate as RCB struggle at 79/5 in 13 overs
Gujarat have taken control of the contest against RCB, reducing them to 79/5 after 13 overs in the 12th match of WPL 2025. Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Gujarat’s bowlers have executed their plans brilliantly, making early inroads into RCB’s batting lineup.
RCB suffered a setback in the very first over when Danni Wyatt-Hodge was trapped lbw by Deandra Dottin for just 4 runs. The early damage continued as Gardner dismissed Ellyse Perry for a duck, marking Perry’s first-ever WPL zero. Smriti Mandhana, who tried to stabilize the innings, struggled for fluency before being dismissed by Kanwar after scoring just 10 off 20 balls.
The only resistance so far has come from Kanika Ahuja and Raghvi Bist, who stitched together a crucial 48-run partnership to give RCB some momentum. However, Gujarat struck back quickly, running out Bist for 22 and dismissing Ahuja for 33 soon after, leaving RCB in deep trouble at 79/5.
For Gujarat, Kanwar has been the pick of the bowlers, picking up two crucial wickets for just 11 runs in her three overs. Gardner and Dottin have chipped in with a wicket each, while Kashvee Gautam and Meghna Singh have kept things tight. With just seven overs remaining, RCB will be hoping for a late surge from their lower order to put up a competitive total, while Gujarat will look to tighten their grip on the match and restrict them to a below-par score.
