Image: RCB enter the final in style / © X (Twitter)
As a result of the win, RCB now sit atop the league table with 12 points after playing eight matches, putting them in a position where they will qualify for the finals of the fourth season, being held on February 5. Based on the current point totals, Warriorz face almost certain elimination. As such, their match versus the Delhi Capitals on Sunday serves only as a formality regarding their exit from the competition.
Nadine de Klerk’s four-for helped to ensure that there would not be enough runs scored by the Warriorz to overtake the RCB team in the final four overs when her teammate Harris scored 75 runs off 37 balls, including 13 boundaries and two sixes, to ensure a comfortable victory.
In addition to Harris’s 75 runs, Smriti played an integral role, contributing an impressive 54 runs with no outs.
Harris was able to establish her agenda during the Power Play by hammering five fours in the third over against Kranti Gaud, a 22-year-old bowler, while also having fun doing it. After the strategic timeout was announced, she had contributed 49 of the total RCB runs scored (63 runs/6 overs).
Harris completed her 50 runs using 28 balls in the 7th Over, hitting Asha Sobhana’s flighted ball over long- on for six to reach that milestone in style.
Harris was open about her plans from the very start of the match in the PowerPlay when she enjoyed smacking 5 fours in the third over, bowled by Kranti Gaud, the 22-year-old fast bowler, while doing so with a big smile on her face.
By the time Warriorz went for a strategic timeout, Alysia Harris had already scored 49 runs from a total of 63 runs without loss for RCB in 6 overs of batting.
Harris reached her fifty with 28 balls during the seventh over of the innings after hitting Asha Sobhana’s slow, flighted delivery, straight over long-on for a six.