Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated UP Warriorz by two runs in their WPL match here on Saturday.

Chasing 158, UP Warriorz needed 11 from the last over with Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma at the crease. Sophie Molineux was bang on target and UP Warriorz needed nine off the last two balls.

The fifth delivery was hit for a boundary by Sharma but she failed to gather the required runs off the last ball.

Royar Challengers Bangalore's Sabbhineni Meghana action in Bangalore on Saturday. PTI

Leg spinner Sobhana Asha was the pick of RCB bowlers with five wickets. She was brilliant, keeping the batters guessing with her flight and guile.

The Warriorz will not be pleased with how they approached the last quarter of their chase. They had the game under control, yet, played too many impulsive strokes which brought about their doom. Four of their top five got starts but failed to build on it.

Earlier, well-timed fifties by Richa Ghosh and Sabbhineni Meghana helped RCB reach 157 for six.

Meghana (53 off 44 balls, 7x4, 1x6) and Richa (62 off 37 balls, 12x4) added 71 runs for the fourth wicket in 50 balls as RCB recovered from a shaky 54 for three in 7.5 overs after being asked to bat first.

Sensing the situation, both Meghana and Richa took their time to settle into their partnership, but once they got their eyes in, the RCB pair did not look back.

Meghana’s lofted hit over extra cover for a six off left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was superb in execution and timing.

She reached her fifty off 40 balls, and Richa, who hammered pacer Saima Thakor for 16 runs in the 14th over, reached her own mark soon off 31 balls with a four off Tahlia McGrath.

The partnership was broken when Gayakwad had Meghana stumped by Alyssa Healy. But before that steady stand, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry struggled to come to terms with the sluggishness of the track.

The final five overs did not transpire as RCB would have hoped, with only 42 being scored.