WPL 2023: Sophia Dunkley hits fastest Women's Premier League fifty

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Gujarat Giants (GGT) opener Sophia Dunkley hit the fastest Women's Premier League (WPL) fifty against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

After Gujarat won the toss and opted to bat first, RCB's Australian pacer Megan Schutt bowled a maiden to start with. However, it was mayhem for the Bangalore bowlers after the completion of the first over. However, Dunkley also could not score on the first two balls of the second over but got in her elements with a scoop shot for four of Ellyse Perry in the third over.

The England star then smashed two cracking fours of the first two deliveries off the third over. In the fourth over from Renuka Singh, the 24-year-old hit a four on the second delivery and then a cracking six over extra cover on the fourth delivery. She finished off the over from the India star with a four through extra cover.

The right-hander did not stop there, and left-arm spinner Preeti Bose was at the receiving end in the fifth over. After Harleen Deol gave her the strike on second delivery, Dunkley accumulated 22 runs with the help of four fours and a six. The boundary of the last delivery towards long-off completed her 18-ball fifty (nine fours and two fifties).

After a maiden first over, Gujarat Giants accumulated 64 runs in the powerplay. Dunkley hit a four and a six on the fourth and fifth deliveries of the eight over before Shreyanka Patil got her maiden WPL wicket on the final delivery. Dunkley (65 off 28) got caught out while trying to clear the long-off field.

Gujarat are playing their second match of the WPL 2023. In the first match, they went down by three wickets against UP Warriorz who prevailed in the last-over thriller.