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Authoritative fifties by Richa Ghosh and S Meghana were well-supported by crafty leg-spinner Sobhana Asha as Royal Challengers Bangalore celebrated their first home WPL match with a fighting two-run win over UP Warriorz in Bengaluru on Saturday. Richa (62, 37b, 12x4) and Meghana (53, 44b, 7x4, 1x6) pushed Royal Challengers to a par 157 for six on a slightly tacky pitch as they added 71 runs for the fourth wicket in 50 balls.

Grace Harris (38, 23b, 4x4, 2x6) and Shewta Sehrawat (31, 25b, 2x4, 1x6) milked 77 runs in 44 balls for the fourth wicket but UP could not survive a five-wicket haul by leg-spinner Sobhana Asha (5/22), ending up at 155 for seven.

The Warriorz were well on course for a win at 116 for three in the 15th over, but Sobhana's three-wicket burst in the 17th over changed the complexion of the game.

She jettisoned Harris, Sehrawat and Kiran Navgire in that over to break UP's hopes by a thin margin.

The Warriorz chase got off to a rather sedate start after losing skipper Alyssa Healy in the second over itself.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux produced a ripper to get rid of Healy. The ball pitched around middle and off line, before straightening to clip the bails off past the tentative prod of the UP opener.

Vrinda Dinesh and Tahlia McGrath added 38 runs for the second wicket but they also consumed 7.4 overs for it, struggling to pull out big shots on a slow deck.

But Sobhana struck heavy blows in the 9th over, dismissing both Vrinda and McGrath.

Vrinda, who laboured to a 28-ball 18, tried to step down and hoick Sobhana but missed the ball as stumper Richa did the rest.

Sobhana ousted McGrath two balls later when the Aussie batter's attempt to slog sweep saw the ball rearranging her stumps.

For the record,