Superb all-round performances from captain Ashleigh Gardner and Deandra Dottin, along with legspinner Priya Mishra's game-changing bowling performance gave Gujarat Giants (GG) their first victory in the TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 with a six-wicket win over UP Warriorz (UPW) in Match 3 of season three.

Gardner led GG’s chase of 144 with her second consecutive half-century (52 off 32) after registering 2-39 with the ball. The swashbuckling Deandra Dottin (33* off 18) sealed the chase and also picked up two wickets. Gujarat’s star with the ball though was young legspinner Mishra, who dismissed Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and Deepti Sharma in a spell of 3-25.

Earlier, Gujarat skipper Ashleigh Gardner won the toss and elected to field with the Giants naming an unchanged XI. After a brisk cameo at the top, Kiran Navgire (15 off 8) was trapped in front by Dottin’s pace. Just as she did in the opening game, Gardner struck with the ball in her first over again, cleaning up Vrinda Dinesh.

On her captaincy debut, Sharma walked in with UP 22/2 in the third over. The GG bowlers continued to apply the brakes though with UPW ending the powerplay at 41/2. Sharma and Uma Chetry (24 off 27) kept the scoreboard ticking with a 51-run stand before Dottin came back to strike again with Chetry’s wicket.

In the very next over, youngster Priya Mishra - playing only her second TATA WPL game - showed why she is rated so highly. The legspinner bamboozled the experienced Australian duo of McGrath (LBW) and Harris (bowled) in the space of three deliveries and UPW were left reeling at 79/5 after 11 overs.

Mishra then ended Sharma’s resistance (39 off 27) - courtesy of Gardner taking a stunning catch diving to her right at mid-off - to end with impressive figures of 3/25 in her four overs.

Struggling at 117/8 with only two overs to go, Alana King (19* off 14) and Saima Thakor’s (15* off 7) late cameos carried UPW to 143/9 after 20 overs.

Defending a low target, Harris got UPW off to a dream start, dismissing the in-form Beth Mooney for a golden duck. Sophie Ecclestone, the all-time leading wicket-taker (28) in the TATA WPL, made an instant impact as Dayalan Hemalatha chopped one back onto her stumps.

At 2/2, Gardner and Laura Wolvaardt then counter-punched, including hitting three sixes in a single over from Thakor. With Gardner leading the charge, GG raced to 41/2 at the end of the powerplay.

Ecclestone ended the 55-run partnership by cleaning up Wolvaardt (22). But Gardner was in no mood to stop, bringing up another half-century off just 30 balls.

Just when it seemed like GG were running away with it, Gardner smashed one straight to short fine-leg off McGrath. At 86/4 with 8 overs to go and 58 runs to get, Dottin (33* off 18) and Harleen Deol (34* off 30) expertly mixed aggression with watchfulness. The duo put on 58 runs off just 37 balls to see GG through with two overs to spare. GG thus registered their first successful run-chase in tournament history.

Brief scores: Gujarat Giants 144/4 in 18 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 52, Harleen Deol 34, Deandra Dottin 33, Sophie Ecclestone 2-16) beat UP Warriorz 143/9 in 20 overs (Deepti Sharma 39, Uma Chetry 24, Priya Mishra 3-25, Deandra Dottin 2-34, Ashleigh Gardner 2-39).

The full scorecard and match details can be found here.