Delhi Capitals (Photo Source: Twitter)
Delhi Capitals (DC) held their nerve to keep up the momentum in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 as Meg Lanning and Co. beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six wickets at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Monday, March 13. It seems like a terrible season for RCB as they have lost all five games so far.
DC captain Lanning opted to field first after winning the toss against RCB. DC’s Shikha Pandey struck thrice as the Smriti Mandhana-led side posted a below par score of 150/4, with Elysse Perry scoring an unbeaten half-century (67* off 52). Pandey dismissed openers Mandhana and Sophie Devine and wicketkeeper batter Richa Gosh. Meanwhile, Tara Norris picked one, dismissing Heather Knight.
In the chase, DC did not get off to a good start after a brilliant bowling display. RCB made early strikes to send back DC openers Shafali Verma and Lanning. Meanwhile, Alice Capsey and Jemimah Rodrigues shattered RCB’s hope before Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen guided DC to win the game.
Shikha Pandey registers terrific bowling figures
Shikha Pandey displayed an impressive bowling display against RCB. She picked up three wickets and gave away only 19 runs in her four overs. She was intrumental in helping her side contain RCB’s momentum as she bowled with a lot of discipline.
Jess Jonassen finishes off things in style
Jess Jonassen helped DC register a six-wicket win with two balls to spare. She finished off it in style with a four in the last over. She scored an unbeaten 29 off 15 balls and emerged as the Player of the Match. She struck four fours and one six and batted at a strike rate of 193.33.
Losing captain Smriti Mandhana said:
Really good effort by our bowlers to take it till the 20th over. Definitely a lot of improvements but a lot of things to work on still. The partnership got us into the game, they both batted brilliantly. They used their experience to get us to a defendable total. Not the best of the starts, including my batting. The first 14 overs really hurt us, even 10-15 runs more would have helped. Towards the fag-end of the tournament, the wickets are going to get slower. Even in the last game, spinners got the ball to turn and pace-off and slower balls were working.
Winning captain Meg Lanning said:
It was close in the end there, JJ and Kappy did an excellent job to keep their composure. We got ahead and RCB bowled well to come back, nice to get over the line. It would have been nice to finish it earlier but the wicket got slower. Having two experienced batters at the end helped. We just executed really well, if you hit a good length, that’s the most effective way to bowl. A lot to learn from this game. To get a win under pressure will do wonders for our team. I am trying to stay calm – that’s T20 cricket for you, you are under the pump all the time. Shikha Pandey has been under the radar, she is bowling really well and having Kapp and Jess Jonassen on the field helps as well.
Jess Jonassen, Player of the Match said:
Well that’s nice [on Lanning saying if Jonassen is there, nothing to worry]. It got much closer than we would have liked. I was happy to be there till the end and get over the line. A super-human dive from Kappy allowed her to get back in and Capsey’s innings at the top helped as well. It’s pretty odd when I bat higher in the Australian team. Starved of opportunity in that Australia team. Back home in the domestic team I bat in the lower middle-order and that has kept me in good stead. More innings like this hopefully are coming. I back my strengths, going straight and hit well. A bit of a surprise for me to be standing here. There’s a lot of other players who were more deserving, but we will take the 2 points. Just a few balls in the third or fourth-last over but I told Kappy to back her swing and she nailed one short and wide. To use the feet against the off-spinner was risky but I had clear plans on how I wanted to play the off-spinner, and got a sweep shot away.
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