Each Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz got here into their match on the again of heartbreaking defeats of their Girls’s Premier League (WPL) openers after having victory in sight. The margins had been extremely positive. The distinction, nonetheless, couldn’t have been starker on Monday as DC thumped UPW in a one-sided affair to win by 9 wickets with 33 balls to spare.
From the second the coin fell in favour of Meg Lanning, barely something went proper for UP Warriorz. Opting to bowl first, Lanning handed the ball to Powerplay specialist Marizanne Kapp, who responded with a four-over burst of top quality, registering gorgeous figures of 4-1-5-3. Spinner Radha Yadav, who Lanning later mentioned had come into this match as if with some extent to show, picked up 4 wickets. All UPW may handle was 119/9 of their 20 overs.
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Marizanne Kapp will get Tahlia McGrath 💪#UPW three down contained in the powerplay 🤯
Match Centre 💻📱https://t.co/YnKaBW7IeD#TATAWPL | #UPWvDC pic.twitter.com/5RgiH6iWzE
— Girls’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 26, 2024
If that felt below par at first look, Shafali Verma and Lanning made it appear woefully insufficient. The duo, by a ways the perfect opening mixture within the WPL final yr, placed on one other three-figure stand, each scoring half-centuries.
Whereas the batting effort was harmful, it was the bowling that had arrange the win for DC. Kapp began the night time getting her away-swingers proper and choking the UPW batters with a nagging fourth-stump line on a very good size. Vrinda Dinesh was the primary to go, slicing one to deep third as she struggled for timing. In her subsequent over, Kapp broke the again of UPW’s batting, with the wickets of Tahlia McGrath and captain Alyssa Healy.
McGrath, who struggled to get bat on ball when it swung away, was cleaned up by one which straightened after angling in. She missed the road fully and the ball struck the highest of off. Healy, attempting to pressure the tempo, was caught sharply by a backtracking Shafali.
Then, it was over to Radha who confirmed nice braveness to maintain flighting the ball towards UPW’s massive hitters, regardless of being taken for boundaries. Her first sufferer was Grace Harris, who fell after hitting a 4. Then it was Kiran Navgire, who was caught and bowled by a teasing supply outdoors off, moments after sending one hovering into the stands. It’s that conviction in her craft that left Lanning impressed.
Down the bottom and into the stands 💥@TheShafaliVerma reaches her half-century with a MAXIMUM 👊
Match Centre 💻📱https://t.co/YnKaBW7IeD#TATAWPL | #UPWvDC pic.twitter.com/JjeB0Wv6LW
— Girls’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 26, 2024
Radha confirmed good tactical consciousness for her subsequent wicket, as she dropped one brief to beat the advancing Shweta Sehrawat – who top-scored with 45 – and had her stumped. Bowling the twentieth over, the left-arm spinner dismissed Sophie Ecclestone.
UPW wanted early wickets throughout the chase to face any probability, however Shafali began with a bang. Lanning – not for the primary time throughout the WPL – remarked later that she had enjoyable watching the fireworks from the non-striker’s finish. Shafali stored discovering the boundary at common intervals, being notably extreme on McGrath’s medium tempo, smashing two fours and a six in a single over to finish the Powerplay.
Lanning quickly joined the social gathering, exhibiting off her spectacular vary of photographs sq. of the wicket on both facet. Frustration solely grew within the UPW camp, as they dropped catches, misfielded, had just a few squabbles, and finally, had been outplayed. Healy later spoke of getting to make some choices on their squad composition. With the likes of Chamari Athapaththu and Danni Wyatt ready outdoors, she’d must put her pondering cap on to determine their batting line-up.
Transient scores: UP Warriorz 119/9 in 20 overs (Shweta Sehrawat 45; Radha Yadav 4/20, Marizanne Kapp 3/5) misplaced to Delhi Capitals 123/1 in 14.3 overs (Shafali Verma 64 not out, Meg Lanning 51) by 9 wickets