In a high-scoring encounter that marked the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024’s most run-filled match to date, the Delhi Capitals emerged victorious over the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 25 runs, thanks to standout performances from Jess Jonassen and Marizanne Kapp. Jonassen dazzled in the final overs with a rapid 36 not out off 16 balls and clinched 3-21 with the ball, while Kapp made significant contributions both with the bat, scoring a brisk 32 off 16, and with the ball, taking 2-35.
The Capitals set a formidable target of 194 for 5, fueled by Shafali Verma’s back-to-back half-century and explosive innings from Alice Capsey, Kapp, and Jonassen. In response, the Royal Challengers Bangalore were held to 169 for 9, despite a fighting maiden WPL fifty from Smriti Mandhana, who scored a 43-ball 74.
Early Jitters for RCB
The match kicked off with a slow but intense beginning as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), having won the toss and opted to field, encountered some early struggles. In a bid for an early breakthrough, they quickly burned a review on the very first delivery in an unsuccessful attempt to have Meg Lanning adjudged lbw. Adding to their frustration, Shreyanka Patil dropped a straightforward chance off the last ball of the over, granting Shafali Verma a lifeline when she was just on 4 runs.
Despite these early dramas, the batting side, Delhi Capitals, found runs hard to come by in the initial overs, a common theme throughout the tournament’s early stages. The Capitals could muster only 22 runs in the first four overs. The breakthrough for RCB came soon after, as Lanning was caught at backward square leg off Sophie Devine’s bowling. RCB set an interesting fielding trap for the DC skipper, and she walked right into it providing a much-needed moment of relief for the Bangalore team.
Verma and Capsey Set the Stage
Shafali Verma and Alice Capsey took charge of the game as the pitch settled, showcasing their form with a commanding partnership. Shafali displayed her aggressive intent in the final over of the powerplay, attacking Sophie Molineux with a boundary and a six. Shortly after, Capsey joined the onslaught, taking on Asha Shobana with a four and a reverse sweep for another boundary.
Their partnership not only flourished but also increased the scoring rate significantly. In the 12th over, Shafali unleashed two consecutive sixes against Shreyanka Patil, securing her second consecutive half-century. She attempted a third but was caught at deep mid-wicket when Patil delivered a short-pitched seam-up delivery, causing a brief stumble for the Delhi Capitals.
Nadine De Klerk had an impressive debut despite a challenging start, she was introduced late into the attack in the 11th over and was greeted by a six over mid-wicket boundary on her first ball. However, she quickly found her rhythm, conceding just 17 runs and claiming two crucial wickets off the next 17 deliveries.
Jonassen and Kapp Lead the Assault
De Klerk’s ability to change her pace and length proved effective, causing Alice Capsey to offer a dolly of a catch to Sophie Devine at long-on who made a meal of it. De Klerk continued to bowl well, notably frustrating Jemimah Rodrigues, who eventually mishit a shot to mid-off. De Klerk continued her impressive performance in her next over and got the wicket of Alice Capsey this time around with a well-executed yorker.
After a brief period of struggle, where three quick dismissals and a controlled scoring rate seemed to favor RCB, Marizanne Kapp quickly turned the tide in DC’s favor. She aggressively attacked Nadine De Klerk, smashing two sixes and a four in the final over of De Klerk’s spell. Jess Jonassen continued the onslaught in the following over, scoring 3 fours and a six off Asha Shobana. Although Sophie Devine managed to dismiss Kapp in the subsequent over, Jonassen concluded DC’s innings with a boundary and a six off Shreyanka Patil in the final over, ensuring the highest team total of this year’s WPL was achieved.
Mandhana’s Heroics Not Enough
Smriti Mandhana, the RCB skipper, had a standout performance on Thursday after a less-than-ideal start in the WPL. She led the charge in the chase, beginning by hitting Marizanne Kapp for two boundaries in the opening over, predominantly targeting the leg side. Mandhana continued to exploit the shorter boundary during the powerplay, while her partner Sophie Devine struggled to keep up with the scoring rate. Mandhana’s aggressive approach ensured that she faced the majority of the deliveries, keeping RCB on track in the run chase.
By the time Smriti Mandhana reached her half-century by guiding a delivery from Minnu Mani towards deep point for a couple of runs, Sophie Devine had only managed to add 9 runs off 12 balls. Devine, who was visibly struggling with a heavily strapped leg, found it challenging to run at her usual pace.
However, shortly after Mandhana reached her milestone, Devine smashed a couple of massive sixes in the long-on region. Unfortunately, Devine’s aggressive stint was short-lived as she mistimed a full toss from Arundhati Reddy in the following over, resulting in a comfortable catch for Jonassen at mid-wicket. Despite Devine playing a supporting role, the openers had managed to add 77 runs in just 51 balls.
S Meghana struggles to get going
While Smriti Mandhana continued to find boundaries consistently, Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey managed to tighten the screws with a couple of economical overs for DC. However, Mandhana’s innings came to an end when she was bowled by Kapp. Following her dismissal, S Meghana and Richa Ghosh struggled to find the boundaries. Meghana’s sluggish innings put pressure on the other RCB batters with her going at just around run a ball throughout her innings.
The DC bowlers executed their plans effectively, employing plenty of slower balls and forcing the batters to target the longer boundaries. Jess Jonassen capitalized on the batters’ inability to execute the sweep shot efficiently bowling a leg stump line from the over-the-wicket. As the required run rate increased, Ghosh’s innings came to an end when she top-edged a pull shot off Kapp, resulting in a catch for the point fielder.
Jonassen’s All-Round Show
In the latter stages of the match, Jess Jonassen’s bowling played a pivotal role in restricting RCB. Initially underutilized in the first 13 overs, Jonassen was brought back into the attack for the crucial final seven overs. This strategic move forced the RCB batters to adopt an aggressive approach, particularly with Ellyse Perry absent due to injury, weakening their batting lineup.
As RCB attempted to clear the longer boundaries, they found themselves repeatedly caught in the deep, unable to capitalize on their shots. Jonassen capitalized on this, claiming the wickets of Simran Bahadur, Sophie Molineux, and S Asha in the final over. Before Jonassen’s impact, Shikha Pandey and Arundhati Reddy had dismissed Georgia Wareham and Nadine De Klerk, further strengthening Delhi Capitals’ grip on the match.
With this win, which handed RCB their first defeat of the season, the Delhi Capitals have ascended to the top of the closely contested tournament standings.
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