WPL: DC beat MI in last-ball thriller
Delhi Capitals edged past Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a thrilling WPL match, with Shafali Verma's explosive 43 leading the chase.
New Delhi: Delhi Capitals (DC) prevailed in a contest of batting implosions, pulling off a thrilling two-wicket win on the last ball over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in Vadodara on Saturday. In a game that ebbed and flowed, largely due to disciplined bowling, both teams struggled for batting rhythm on a pitch that saw over 400 runs scored the previous night and showed no signs of sluggishness.
With 10 needed off the last over, DC crossed the line with a desperate full-length dive from Arundhati Reddy after the middle order, despite getting starts, failed to finish what should have been a regulation chase. DC’s charge was set up by the explosive Shafali Verma, who cracked an 18-ball 43, but there was precious little from the rest.
Perhaps out to make a point after being dropped from the India team last year, Shafali took a liking to spin in the Powerplay, smoking 22 runs in one Saika Ishaque over. She opened her account by running down the track second ball to Ishaque and deposited her left-arm spin over cover for six. The next two deliveries were flighted again and Shafali put them away for fours before Ishaque dropped one short, only to be cut past point. The last ball was bludgeoned through cover as DC looked on course.
While she was troubled by the lively pace of Shabnim Ismail, Shafali had no problems dealing with the off-spin of Hayley Matthews, who was imperiously swept for two fours and a six in the sixth over. Matthews, however, had Shafali caught at mid-wicket on the last ball of the powerplay. Still DC, having collected 60 in the first six, looked on course. As it turned out, it was anything but.
Ismail started the slide by uprooting Meg Lanning’s off stump, Jemimah Rodrigues drove Amelia Kerr straight to Kaur, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, who had top-scored with 80 not out, bowled Annabel Sutherland as MI applied the choke.
Earlier, a well-rounded bowling effort from Delhi Capitals ensured MI, the 2023 champions, were dismissed for 164 with five balls to spare. Batting on the pitch that saw over 400 runs scored the previous night and showed no signs of sluggishness, MI batting meandered as DC bowlers tightened things after skipper Kaur’s brief burst.
MI’s batters were kept in check in both the key scoring blocks of powerplay and death overs, DC allowing 41/2 in the first six and a sorry 18/3 in the last three overs. The situation could have been worse but for Kaur’s enterprising 22-ball 42. Together with Sciver-Brunt, they added 73 runs off 39 balls for the third wicket after Shikha Pandey had struck twice inside five overs to send back openers Yastika Bhatia and Matthews.
The shackles were broken in the eighth over, bowled by Radha Yadav, where Kaur hit her left-arm spin for a four and six. There was no looking back for the MI skipper as she hoisted Arundhati Reddy for six over long on. Two overs later, Annabel Sutherland’s medium pace was dispatched for three fours and a six by the India captain. Sutherland had the last laugh as Kaur’s upper cut went straight to deep third man.
MI lost their last six wickets for 35 runs, three of them run outs, as DC kept the runs in check. Sciver-Brunt remained unbeaten on a 59-ball 80 while seven MI batters failed to reach double figures.
