Bengaluru, Feb 23 Former India skipper Mithali Raj praised Grace Harris' hat-trick in UP Warriorz's win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and said the off-spin allrounder "seems to have a golden arm" as she understands her craft well.
Grace capped off an incredible night for UPW with a hat-trick (claiming wickets of Niki Prasad, Arundhati Reddy and Minnu Mani) to bowl DC out for 144. After two catches in the deep, she took a catch fired right at her by Mani on the second attempt to become just the the third bowler to take a hat-trick in the WPL after her Warriorz captain Deepti Sharma claimed the feat in 2024 against the same opposition and Mumbai Indians' Issy Wong against Warriorz in 2023.
"Every time Grace Harris is brought in to bowl, she seems to have a golden arm. In the last encounter between these two teams (UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals), she dismissed Meg Lanning in the very first over, and today, she delivered a hat-trick. I expected her to bowl the final over, but a hat-trick was unexpected.
"Grace Harris is an exceptionally smart bowler. She dismissed Annabel Sutherland in her very first over, and then, in the final over of the innings, she secured a hat-trick. She understands her craft well, using variations like drifters and quicker deliveries to great effect. While she doesn’t bowl regularly for Australia, whenever she is given the ball, she delivers crucial breakthroughs," Mithali said on JioHotstar.
UP Warriorz's victory also marked the first time in eight matches this season that a team has successfully defended a target. Chinelle Henry single-handedly pulled UPW out of trouble with a 23-ball 62, thus also equalling the record for the fastest fifty (18 balls) in WPL history as UPW posted 177/9.
Defending 177, UPW youngster Kranti Goud's 4-25 and Grace Harris' 4-15, including a hat-trick to end the game, ensured that the 'chase and win' streak was broken.
"There were many positives for UP Warriorz, and that is exactly what a team needs when chasing their first win and first points on the board. We anticipated strong performances across the squad, from batters like Chinelle Henry to bowlers like Grace Harris and Kranti Goud. Both bowlers delivered impressive performances," she added.
Henry smashed eight sixes en route to a stunning 23-ball 62 and sent the ball all around the park, including 24 runs off Shikha Pandey’s 17th over and 22 off Arundhati Reddy’s 19th over as UPW smashed 67 runs in the last four overs.
Mithali also praised Chinelle's approach to batting and said, "She backed herself to play those aggressive shots. At that stage, with six or seven wickets already down, she knew there was nothing to lose. She decided to go big and play her natural game, showcasing that signature West Indian flair for hitting big sixes."
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