In the opening match of the Delhi leg of WPL 2024, Delhi Capitals notched a convincing 29-run victory over Mumbai Indians. Jemimah Rodrigues and Meg Lanning led the way with impressive half-centuries, while the Capitals’ pacers made an impact with a triple-wicket burst during the powerplay. This win, their fourth in the tournament, has extended Delhi’s lead at the summit of the points table.
Delhi Capitals amassed a total of 192 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their 20 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues contributing an unbeaten 69 runs and Meg Lanning adding 53 runs to the scoreboard. In response, Mumbai Indians managed to score 163 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Jess Jonassen led the bowling attack for Delhi Capitals with impressive figures of 3 wickets for 21 runs, while Marizanne Kapp supported well with 2 wickets for 27 runs.
Ismail Clocks 132.01 Kmph, breaks the world record for women’s
Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma once again led from the front with their performances. Despite Shabnim Ismail crossing speeds of 130kmph and challenging the batters with a couple of fierce overs initially, she remained the only significant threat as the rest of the bowling attack was easily dismantled. Shabnim Ismail created history bowling the fastest ever delivery bowled in women’s cricket with 132.01 Kmph.
Skipper Lanning shines with another fifty
A lucky break came for Shafali when she was on 15, as Saika Ishaque dropped a top edge off Ismail’s bowling. Seizing this chance, Shafali aggressively targeted Ismail, hitting two sixes in her following over. However, Ismail eventually had her moment of triumph, dismissing Shafali with a short of length ball that resulted in an edge to the wicketkeeper. By the time Shafali was dismissed, Meg Lanning had found her rhythm and shifted her focus towards Amelia Kerr, despite a slow start in the powerplay where she scored just 19 runs from 18 balls.
In the eighth over, Lanning, along with Capsey, aggressively targeted Kerr’s leg-spin, hitting three boundaries. By the twelfth over, Lanning had taken complete control, hammering Kerr for 20 runs in a single over. Shortly afterwards, she notched her third fifty of the season. However, her innings came to an end when she attempted a pull shot off Pooja Vastrakar and was caught at deep mid-wicket by Kerr, who made a spectacular catch diving forward.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ first fifty of this season
After the departures of Capsey and Lanning, the Mumbai Indians bowlers momentarily regained control, reducing the scoring pace significantly. Pooja Vastrakar, Saika Ishaque, and Nat Sciver-Brunt managed to keep things tight, giving away just 14 runs across three overs, during which time Marizanne Kapp and Jemimah Rodrigues found runs hard to come by.
However, the scenario shifted as Shabnim Ismail came back to bowl her final over. Jemimah Rodrigues found her groove against the pace, carving out boundaries and taking Ismail for 16 runs, initiating a late surge in the innings as the death overs began.
Jemimah Rodrigues Leads Delhi’s Strong Finish
While Marizanne Kapp found it challenging to score, Jemimah Rodrigues took charge to ensure that boundaries continued to flow seamlessly. Jemimah Rodrigues showcased a diverse range of shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. Her aggressive approach was evident when she came down the track to Nat Sciver-Brunt in the 19th over, launching a six over the bowler’s head to reach her well-deserved half-century. In the final five overs, Delhi Capitals amassed 69 runs, finishing their innings strongly at 192 for 4.
Delhi Capitals’ Seamers Disrupt Mumbai Indians’ Top Order
Delhi Capitals’ seamers wreaked havoc on the Mumbai Indians’ top order right from the start of the chase. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey made early breakthroughs, dismissing three key batters. Kapp bowled Yastika Bhatia, knocking over her off-stump, while Pandey cleaned up Nat Sciver-Brunt with an incoming delivery.
MI Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur then miscued a flick, offering a catch to backward point. By the end of the third over, Mumbai Indians were reeling at 29 for 3. The misery continued for Mumbai as Hayley Matthews fell off the penultimate ball of the powerplay, pulling a delivery straight to the mid-wicket fielder.
Amanjot Kaur’s Fighting Knock
Mumbai Indians’ batsmen found it challenging to adjust to the sluggish pitch conditions. By the ninth over, any hopes of a resurgence were dashed as Delhi Capitals effectively stifled their momentum. Even Kerr, who struggled to a 20-ball 17, was eventually caught by a diving Jemimah Rodrigues at long on.
From that point onwards, Mumbai Indians not only lagged significantly behind the required run rate but also appeared disinterested in mounting a serious challenge to the target. Amanjot Kaur showcased her batting prowess with a flurry of boundaries, compiling a brisk 42 off 27 deliveries.
S Sajana continues to Impress
However, with Pooja Vastrakar struggling to support her at the other end, Delhi Capitals faced little threat from Amanjot’s aggressive onslaught. S Sajana provided some late fireworks for Mumbai Indians, hitting a few aggressive shots towards the end of their innings to take the team’s total to 163 for 8. While this effort might have marginally helped their Net Run Rate in the tournament, the outcome of the match was effectively decided by the end of the second innings powerplay, with Delhi Capitals firmly in control.
Also Read: https://goworldwide.co.in/smriti-mandhana-shines-as-rcb-defeats-up/