रॉयल चैलेंजर्स बैंगलोर vs यूपी वॉरियर्स, मैच 5 Commentary, Live Updates

So two wins in two games for the Royal Challengers. With this bossy win, they have leapfrogged to the top spot. Meg Lanning and Co. have a lot of soul-searching to do. Still early days in the tournament, but it has exposed which ends need to be tightened up. That's it from the fifth game of the season. Next up, we have another delicious clash as defending champions Mumbai Indians go up against the high-flying Gujarat Giants at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. That game will be played on Tuesday, 13th January, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). But do make sure to join us in advance for the buildup and the pre-match buzz. Until then, ta-ta, stay safe. Cheers!

RCB's Grace Harris is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her blazing knock of 85 off just 40 balls. She says that it feels pretty good and she is loving her time with RCB, calling it a great setup. She admits she initially thought she would be facing the older ball and had prepared for change-ups and the death overs, before realising she would be opening the innings. Harris adds that opening alongside Smriti Mandhana has been special, calling her classy and calm, and says watching her is a great reminder that you do not need to overhit the ball, given how technically correct she is. On a lighter note, Harris says she has not named her bat yet, joking that she could name it after an Indian burger. She laughs that it has a good middle so far, and says everything is going well for now. She reflects that batting second offers a slight advantage, especially given the conditions. She gives full credit to the bowlers for restricting the opposition to 143, noting that it made the chase a lot easier. Underlines the importance of taking full advantage when conditions are in their favour and adds that she will put his hand up for everything, as long as she is part of the XI and playing cricket.

The victorious captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Smriti Mandhana, says she had the best seat in the house to watch Grace Harris whack the balls. Shares that it was special to watch the bowlers put in a collective effort, with everyone chipping in. Mandhana says when you concede just 30 runs in the first 6 overs, you cannot ask for a better start with the ball. Mentions that her role while batting with Shafali Verma or Grace Harris is simple, just take a single and bring them back on strike and they make her job easier. Mandhana admits it is a tough place to be as a captain when Harris gets going because you don't know where to bowl to her. She jokes that one thing she has learned while being with RCB is that you never get too ahead of yourself. Smriti adds that this is one of the hardest-working groups they have had in the last three or four years, and the emphasis remains firmly on process.

... THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY ...

It is time to hear from RCB's ace pacer, Lauren Bell, who is up for a chat. Says she is feeling good and bowling in a nice rhythm, with everything coming out well. Points out that it is much warmer here than back home. Bell adds that she wants to start games strongly and set the tone, something she admits she has not quite nailed yet for England, but has been working on back home, particularly her outswinger. Speaking about Anya Shrubsole’s influence as bowling coach, Bell says she has worked with her for a few years and describes her as very calm and clear in her approach. She adds that cricket is an unpredictable game, but if the ball is swinging, she feels she can make a real impact in the powerplay.

The captain of UP Warriorz, Meg Lanning, says they would have loved to start the season with a win or two, but admits they were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She says RCB bowled really well up front and never allowed her side a sniff with the bat. Lanning says the positive is that games are coming thick and fast, which gives them a chance to bounce back. Adds that there are a few areas they need to tidy up. Lanning says the positive is that games are coming thick and fast, giving them a chance to bounce back. She admits there were too many dot balls early on, including from herself. When asked the reason for Shikha Pandey bowling cross seam with the new ball, Lanning is not sure, but assumes it may have been an attempt to get the ball to move off the wicket and says that Shikha is one of the best bowlers in the competition. Meg also says it is extremely difficult to stop Harris once she gets going and acknowledges that she showed her quality tonight.

Earlier in the game, Mandhana’s RCB chose to bowl first. UP Warriorz’s ploy of sending Harleen Deol to open alongside Lanning did not pay off, and when Lanning departed soon after, the innings began to unravel. RCB’s bowlers were relentless with their lines and lengths, and coupled with an excellent fielding display, they reduced the Warriorz to 50 for 5. At that stage, UPW desperately needed a partnership to materialise and arrest the slide. That stabilising stand eventually came through the alliance between Deepti Sharma and Deandra Dottin, who made 45 and 40 respectively. On the back of that partnership, the Warriorz lifted themselves out of the rut, adding 87 runs in the final ten overs without losing a wicket. With the ball, De Klerk and Patil picked up two wickets apiece. Shreyanka was taken to the cleaners in her final two overs, while Lauren Bell remained characteristically miserly with a wicket to her name.

Things only got uglier for the Warriorz in the final over of the Powerplay. Harris flipped the switch against Dottin and went absolutely berserk, carving out 32 runs in a single over. By the time Ecclestone finally came into the attack, the game had already slipped well beyond UP’s reach, with Harris and Mandhana having ticked off more than half the chase. Once Harris brought up her fifty off just 22 balls, RCB went straight for the kill. It was a lethal mix of Harris’s brute force and Mandhana’s classical strokeplay that sealed the deal emphatically for RCB.

It looked like RCB were batting on a different pitch altogether. Seeing the way Warriorz struggled with the bat, it appeared as if the pitch had its own demons, but those speculations were dashed off by the Royal Challengers as soon as they came to bat. Chasing a modest 144, all they needed was a strong start in the Powerplay, and Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana made sure there were no half measures. From ball one, they took the bowlers out of the contest, dining on anything even slightly off line or length. UP, for their part, never really went at the stumps hard enough to force mistakes, and the damage snowballed quickly.

This was ball-striking of the highest order. A reminder of just how destructive Grace Harris can be when she gets going. Full marks to her for a knock that was as ruthless as it was entertaining. It also goes down as RCB’s biggest win in WPL history in balls remaining, romping home with 47 balls to spare with 9 wickets in hand. UP Warriorz were totally outbowled, outbatted, and outplayed in all departments by their opponents. This marks their second defeat in as many games, and this loss will do some real damage to their net run rate.

FOUR BYES! That will do it for RCB. Deepti tosses it up from around the wicket, full and outside off, Mandhana walks across her stumps, trying to drag the sweep away on the leg side. She is beaten as the ball spins away and the keeper, Shweta Sehrawat, is also beaten. It races past short third and Asha Sobhana's chase goes in vain. Royal Challengers Bengaluru romp home with 47 balls to spare.

Pace off, on a back of a length, Richa stabs it down on the off side.

FOUR! Nicely done! Wide yorker, cross seam delivery, Ghosh gets her bat down and glides it with an open bat face. Plays it fine of short third and the ball races away.

With the final rites being read, the crease has a new occupant. Richa Ghosh is in at number 3.

OUT! CAUGHT! End of a superlative knock from Grace Harris. The Navi Mumbai crowd and Grace's teammates in the dugout give her a standing ovation. Full and wide on off, Harris reaches out and tries to carve it over cover. Hits it straight to Meg Lanning at cover-point, who hops back and takes it around her midriff. Harris departs after scoring an outstanding 85 off 40 balls.

Full and on off, pushed to long off for a single.

PUT DOWN! A much simpler chance than the previous one, but Harleen Deol has shelled it. It sums up the night for them. Cross-seam delivery, full and outside off, Harris goes deep in the crease and tries to get under the ball to slam it down the ground. Hits it flat and straight down the throat of long off, where Deol could have taken a step or two to make it easier for herself. She hung back and got low to take it around her ankle, but could not cling on. The batters cross for one.

FOUR! That has raced away at the rate of knots! Shikha misses the yorker and slips in a full toss, on the pads. Grace Harris obliges and flicks it solidly to beat the deep backward square leg fielder to her left for a boundary.

Overpitched on middle, Grace Harris mistimes her heave towards deep mid-wicket for a single. RCB need just 13 runs to win!

Dishes out a low full toss, on the leg stump. Grace Harris presses forward and clips it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a couple of more runs.

Much fuller, on leg, Smriti Mandhana caresses it through wide mid on for one more.

In-dipping full toss, on middle, Harris drives it to long on for a single.

Full, on leg, worked down to long on and they jog across for a single.

FOUR! All class! Pitched outside leg, on a fuller length. Smriti Mandhana jumps out of the crease and lofts it inside out over extra cover and the ball half volleys the boundary cushions before rolling over.

Full and on middle, Smriti Mandhana wrists it through mid-wicket for one.

Low full toss, on off, Harris hammers it down to long off for a single.

DROPPED! Misjudged by Deandra Dottin and she did not even lay a hand on it. She hides her face with her cap before Kiran Navgire consoles her with an arm around her shoulder. Low full toss, sliding across, Harris swings across the line and gets a top edge. It goes over short fine leg, where Dottin runs over her right shoulder but never managed to settle under it. The ball ended up dropping beside her as she tried to circle under it. Two runs taken.

A well-executed yorker, sneaking just inside the tramline on off. Harris fails to squeeze it out.

Nails the yorker, outside off, Harris walks across and takes it on the full. She paddles it to short fine leg and is keen for a single but Smriti Mandhana sends her back.

Wide! Ecclestone comes from over the wicket now and this is fizzed across the right-hander. This goes well beyond the tramline. Grace lets it be.

SIX! Hit flat and hard! Ecclestone spears it in, full and on middle. Harris gets down on a knee and gets her hands out in front before sweeping over deep square leg for her 5th six.

A bit fuller, on off, Mandhana taps it to cover again.

Hangs it up there again, on off and middle, Smriti stays back and pushes it to cover.

Dropping on the left-hander, full and on middle and leg. Smriti Mandhana blocks it off.

Slanting into the right-hander, on a length, Harris clears the front leg and hacks it to deep square leg. They cross.

Slows it down, does Deepti and it is closer to the off stump, Smriti knocks this full ball to long off for one.

FOUR! Off the edge! Pushed across the left-hander, full in length, Mandhana reaches out for the drive well away from her body. Gets an outside edge and the ball goes slightly uppishly but between short third and backward point.

FOUR! The change of angle does not make any difference. Sobhana switches to around the wicket and tosses it up, around off, Harris drags the sweep and hits it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a four. 17 runs off Sobhana's first over. RCB need 40 more runs.

SIX! That has gone many a mile! Flighted delivery, right in the hitting arc, on middle and leg. Grace drops on a knee and slog sweeps it way over deep mid-wicket for an 86-metre hit. 100 comes up for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in just 7.5 overs.

Shorter and turning in, on middle and leg, Mandhana flicks it through square leg and turns the strike over.

FOUR! Just over! Asha offers flight, full and on off, Mandhana gives herself a bit of room and opens up the front hip. She lofts it over the leaping mid off fielder and picks up a boundary.

Floated up, on middle, Harris powers the drive to long on for a single.

Tossed up, on a length, near the tramline on off. This is punched to deep point for a run.

Asha Sobhana, the leg spinner, is brought into the attack now. She replaces Deandra Dottin.

A ripper from Sophie Ecclestone! Drifting in and then straightening with some bounce, full and on middle. Harris pushes out in front of her body but is beaten on the outside edge. Luckily for her, the bounce takes the ball over the stumps.

Very full, on middle and leg, Mandhana squeezes it out to wide long on for one.

Shorter and on middle, Mandhana plays it back to the bowler.

FOUR! Threads it through! Short and a bit wide this time, Smriti reaches out and angles the bat face to punch it wide of point for four more.

Fuller and on off, Mandhana taps it to cover.

FOUR! Not a bad ball at all, just too good from Mandhana. Fractionally short, on middle, Smriti presses back and jabs it to the left of the diving deep mid-wicket fielder for a four.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Within the Powerplay, RCB have chalked down more than half the runs of their target. They are on course for a massive victory, which will do the world of good to their net run rate. So far, the bowlers of UP Warriorz have found no answers to this onslaught and have been all over the place. No offence to the UP bowlers, but Grace Harris is literally treating this attack as if she's in a net practice session. Can the Warriorz conjure up a wicket? For that, Lanning has tossed the ball to her trump card, Sophie Ecclestone.

Leg-cutter, on a length, on middle, Harris turns it straight to square leg.

FOUR! Grace Harris does not miss out this time. Full and drifting down leg, Harris helps it to the left of short fine leg for a four. 32 runs off the over with a ball to go, level for the most expensive over in WPL history, bowled by Sneh Rana only yesterday. Will that record be broken?

Wide! Sprayed down leg, full in length. Harris misses out on the tickle.

SIX! Grace Harris gets to her FIFTY in style. She reaches her fourth WPL half-century in just 22 balls. She is all smiles as she raises her bat towards the dugout. Fastest fifty of the season and the 5th quickest overall. Dottin hurls it fuller, on middle, Grace just swings through the line and launches it over long on for the third six of the over.

SIX! Clean strike. Make that 21 runs off the first 3 balls. Dottin bashes the surface, over off. Harris presses on the front foot and nails the pull over deep square leg for six more.

FOUR! Punished! Fractionally short, outside off. Grace gets the width to work with and she slaps it through covers for a four. 15 runs already.

SIX! Grace Harris takes full toll. Dottin dishes out a loopy full toss, on middle and leg, Harris needs no second invitation as she clubs it over deep square leg for a six.

FOUR! Deandra Dottin is welcomed with a boundary. 50 comes up for RCB. Pitched up by Dottin, on off, Harris presses forward and does not try to overhit this one. Just lofts it with a straight bat over mid off. Uh, oh, Deandra has overstepped. A tight call, but she has got nothing behind the line. NO BALL called. Free Hit coming up.

RCB need 98 off 90 balls. Deandra Dottin is summoned into the attack for the last over of the Powerplay. She replaces Kranti Gaud.

Full and wide on off, Smriti Mandhana strides across and drives it straight to the cover fielder. The target is now under three digits for RCB.

Fullish ball, on the middle stump line, Grace works it through wide mid on for a single.

FOUR! This time, she gets her placement spot on! Another delivery that is angled on the leg stump, on a fuller length. Grace Harris gets low on her knee and paddles it between square leg and short fine leg for a boundary.

A bit too straight from Shikha, on the legs, Harris clips it behind, but finds short fine leg.

Takes pace off, on a length, Smriti Mandhana hangs back and pushes it down to long on for a single.

Full and on off, Grace Harris heaves it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Goodness me, this is pure class from these two! Half volley from Gaud, outside off. Smriti Mandhana goes inside out over extra cover for a boundary to end yet another expensive over.

Nice and full, on off, Smriti forces the drive to cover.

Angles it down leg, on a length, Grace misses on the pull and the ball is deflected off her thigh pad to backward square leg. They collect a leg bye.

FOUR! Carnage! Back of a length, on top of off, sits up nicely for the batter. Grace Harris creates a stable base by pressing back and pulls it to the right of the deep square leg fielder for a boundary. Geez, that's blazed away to the fence.

On a fuller length, around off, Grace drills it straight to mid off.

FOUR! HAMMERED! Short and wide, Grace Harris accepts the width gleefully and slashes it to the left of the diving point fielder for a boundary. Ordinary bowling this by the Warriorz!

Straight line on middle, full in length, driven off the front foot to mid off. A productive over for RCB. 11 runs off it.

Leg cutter on a length, on off, Grace Harris knocks it down to long on for an easy single.

Seeing Smriti shuffling down leg to open up the off side, Pandey follows the batter and bowls full, outside leg. Mandhana carves it away wide of extra cover for a single.

Lands it full, on off, Smriti Mandhana caresses it to mid off.

WIDE! Down leg, on a length, Smriti misses on the pull and the keeper too, fumbles to gather it to her right, parrying it to short fine leg.

FOUR! PUNISHED! Straight and full, a cross-seam delivery at a gentle pace, Smriti Mandhana gets forward and swings through the line, launching it over the bowler for another four.

FOUR! That's a shot and a half! Shikha serves it full, on middle and leg, Smriti Mandhana clears her front leg and lofts it over mid on for a cracking boundary. A brisk start for RCB in the chase.

On a hard length, on off, Grace Harris prods forward and stabs it back to the bowler.

Much fuller, off, Smriti squeezes it through backward point for a single.

Outside off and full, Mandhana leans on and jabs it to cover-point.

Length ball, on off, punched on the rise to cover.

FOUR! The captain is up and running as well! Fuller delivery, angling in from middle, Smriti Mandhana flicks off her pads, and gets it through deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Full and in front of the sticks, Grace wrists it down to long on for an easy single.

It will be the young right-arm quick, Kranti Gaud from the other end.

Short, on middle, Grace hangs deep in the crease and laces it down to long on for a single. 9 off the first over for RCB, chasing 144.

Full, outside off, Harris works it to mid off.

FOUR! Through the gap! Outside off and short, Grace Harris presses back and tries to cut, but gets an outside edge that goes between short third and backward point for a boundary.

Turns in from off, on a length, Grace goes back and eases it back to Sharma.

Pulls the length back, on off, tapped off the back foot to mid off.

FOUR! Into the business straightaway! Deepti drops it full, on off, Grace plants her front leg ahead and smokes it over the bowler, gun-barrel straight down the ground for a boundary.