Perry's 90no in vain as RCB lose to UP in WPL super over

Ellyse Perry has struck a magnificent unbeaten 90 off 56 balls but finished on the losing side as Royal Challengers Bengaluru were beaten by UP Warriorz in the first super over in the Women's Premier League. 

RCB made 6-180 but Warriorz matched them, dismissed for 180 off the last ball after Sophie Ecclestone clubbed 17 off the final over. 

That forced a super over that seemed certain to go the home side's way when Australia's Kim Garth conceded only eight.

But RCB decided not to send out Perry, who is in superb form having also hit 81 on Friday, to bat.

She could only watch from the sideline as England spinner Ecclestone restricted RCB to four runs to earn the team from Uttar Pradesh an improbable victory.  

"As a team, really have to tell [Perry] we are sorry. It was brilliant to watch her batting. How could we not win that game for her," said RCB captain Smriti Mandhana.

Well-supported by England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge (57 off 41) Perry looked as if she might become the first WPL centurion when she took 16 off the penultimate over. 

But in a foretaste of what was to come, she and Garth could only manage six of the final one, bowled by Ecclestone, and ultimately, she had to settle for equalling the fourth highest score, Tahlia McGrath's 90no made in 2023. 

Perry, who hit nine fours and three sixes, scoring all around the wicket, has now made two of the WPL's top ten scores within four days.

Warriorz began rapidly in pursuit, being 1-48 off 26 balls, but then began to lose wickets. Perry, bowling for the first time in the competition as she manages a hip injury, took 1-10 off two tight overs.

Garth and Georgia Wareham were more expensive, both going for 40 off their four overs, but Garth did take two wickets including that of Grace Harris for eight. 

Harris, fresh off a hat-trick in her last outing, had a less happy day out, bowling one over for 11. She began with a full toss that Wyatt-Hodge lofted for six. She then induced a false cut shot only for the English batter, then on ten, to be badly dropped at point.

Warriorz' other Australian McGrath fared equally badly. She took 1-30 from three overs and was stumped for a four-ball duck.

They, however, finished on the winning side, unlike the luckless Perry for all her brilliance.

"It was amazing to experience that," said Ecclestone of the super over. "That's probably been as nervous as I have been in five years of cricket. 

Australians at WPL 2025

Delhi Capitals: Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning

Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Heather Graham

UP Warriorz: Grace Harris, Tahlia McGrath

WPL 2025 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Delhi Capitals Women DEL	8	5	3	0	0	0.396	0	10
2 Mumbai Indians Women MI	8	5	3	0	0	0.192	0	10
3 Gujarat Giants GUJ	8	4	4	0	0	0.228	0	8
4 Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women RCB	8	3	5	0	0	-0.196	0	6
5 UP Warriorz UPW	8	3	5	0	0	-0.624	0	6

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points