Marizanne, Sophie Devine and Gardner. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)
All-rounders are ultimately the biggest match-winners in T20 cricket. Be it with the ball or with the bat, they have the opportunity to change the game at any moment and such instances were on full display in the second week of the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL).
After a rough first week, the second one brought a lot of smiles for Royal Challengers Bangalore while Gujarat Giants remained unpredictable. UP Warriorz on the other hand will be happy with their growth while Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals were seen celebrating after qualifying for the playoffs of the competition.
Thus, a lot happened in the second week of the competition and the all-rounders were at the centre of all of it.
So, who are these all-rounders that managed to steal the spotlight in the second week? Let’s find out –
5. Marizanne Kapp
Marizanne Kapp. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)
Hailing from South Africa, Marizanne Kapp played a very crucial role in helping Delhi Capitals qualify for the playoffs of the Women’s Premier League 2023. She was very consistent with the ball and gave Delhi much-needed stability with the bat in the middle overs.
Talking about her bowling, the 33-year-old picked up a brilliant five-for in the match against Gujarat Giants on March 11, while her 32* runs off 32 deliveries helped the Meg Lanning-led side win the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore with two balls to spare.
Overall in the second week, Kapp played three matches, scored 68 runs and picked up six wickets. She was very economical with the ball and always stepped up in pressure situations. Thus, without a doubt, she will be very crucial for Delhi going forward. Her experience of playing in pressure situations will also come in handy for the franchise.
4. Hayley Matthews
Hayley Matthews. (Photo Source: JioCinema/Twitter)
Playing for Mumbai Indians, all-rounder Hayley Matthews has been one of the biggest match-winners of the side. Be it with the bat or with the ball, the West Indies international has stepped up time and again and week two was no different.
In the match against Gujarat Giants on March 14, the 25-year-old played some brilliant cricket, picking up three wickets and helping Mumbai win the match by 55 runs. Against UP Warriorz, she gave a good start with the bat but unfortunately, the middle order couldn’t capitalise on the same as the team suffered a five-wicket defeat.
Now, with the chance of earning a direct qualification for the finals, Mumbai will expect Hayley to perform the way she has done throughout the course of the season. Notably, she picked up five wickets and scored 47 runs in the second week of the competition and thus, there’s definitely room for improvement at the moment.
However, with the kind of talent Hayley possesses, she of course can get better leading into the business end of the tournament.
3. Grace Harris
Grace Harris. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)
Despite playing some brilliant cricket in the opening match of the season, Grace Harris was dropped from the playing XI in the very next game against Delhi Capitals. However, the 29-year-old made a thumping return and finally after a couple of games, she cemented her position in the playing XI.
Notably, in the second week of the Women’s Premier League, the Australia-born cricketer did a great job with the bat and was relatively economical with the ball.
Courtesy of her sensational batting, UP recently defeated Mumbai Indians in the league stage and moved an inch closer to the playoffs. Thus, the franchise will be hoping for more similar performances from the all-rounder as there still is a lot of cricket left to be played.
Overall, Grace has scored 85 runs in three matches that she played in the second week. She also bagged a wicket to her name but when it comes to her bowling, there still is room for improvement.
2. Ashleigh Gardner
Ashleigh Gardner. (Photo Source: Twitter/GujaratGiants)
The Aussie international is currently the number one ranked all-rounder in T20I cricket. She didn’t have a good first week but things changed in the second as Ashleigh Gardner reigned supreme against Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Notably, against the Meg Lanning-led side, the 25-year-old stole the show, scoring 51* runs off 33 deliveries. With the ball, she picked up two wickets as Gujarat registered an 11-run victory. Against RCB, she did her best, smashing 41 runs off 26 deliveries but that of course wasn’t enough.
Overall, she played four matches in the second week and scored 100 runs in the process. She also has five wickets to her name.
1. Sophie Devine
Sophie Devine. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)
The New Zealand international wreaked havoc in the match against Gujarat Giants, scoring 99 runs off just 36 deliveries. In order to stay alive in the competition, Royal Challengers Bangalore had to win the match but chasing 189 runs was never an easy task.
However, courtesy of Sophie Devine’s phenomenal innings, RCB chased it down in just 15.3 overs. Now, it’s not just one game. Devine has been terrific throughout the course of the second week.
The 33-year-old played three matches in the second week, scoring 134 runs in the process. She also picked up three wickets but will hope to get better as RCB stare down the barrel.
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