Batters often steal the show with their prowess and shape teams’ fortunes in the shorter format. But at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, it was Delhi Capitals’ bowlers who were in the limelight. Medium-pacer Marizanne Kapp (3/5) and slow-left arm Radha Yadav (4/20) played pivotal roles in their nine-wicket victory over UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League on Monday.
Asked to bat first, Warriorz were restricted to 119/9 in 20 overs. With Meg Lanning (51) and Shafali Verma (64 n.o) around, the target did not pose any problem for Delhi, who cruised home in the 15th over. Delhi dominated the game from the outset, with Kapp, who finished her quota in the first seven overs, setting the tone. Her economical figures (4-1-5-3) highlighted her domination. Bowling a tight line and length, she did not allow her opponents any easy freebies or second chances.
Kerr guides MI to five-wicket win
Amelia Kerr came up with a splendid all-round effort to assist Mumbai Indians seal a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans on Sunday. Kerr first made a strong impression with her leg-spin, grabbing four for 17 that helped defending champions Mumbai limit Gujarat Giants to an under-par 126 for nine. The New Zealand player followed that effort with a 31 off 25 balls as Mumbai overhauled the target in 18.1 overs after getting reduced to 21 for two in the fourth over. Kerr received excellent support from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (46 not out) as the pair made 66 runs for the fourth wicket as MI registered their second successive win in the tournament. Earlier in the WPL opener, MI beat Delhi Capitals by four wickets.
Asha helps RCB prevail over UP Warriorz
Royal Challengers Bangalore were eager to start the second edition of the Women’s Premier League on a positive note. Their desperation stemmed from their underwhelming inaugural season, where they lost their first five matches. On Saturday, playing in front of their fans, RCB delivered an all-round show to secure a two-run win over the UP Warriorz. Asked to bat first, RCB posted a healthy 157/6 in 20 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Sabbhineni Meghana (53) and Richa Ghosh (62). The Warriorz were in the game until Grace Harris (38) and Shweta Sehrawat (31) were at the crease, but leg-spinner Sobhana Asha (5-22) turned the game in RCB’s favour with some tight bowling. Asha became the first bowler to take a fiver in WPL.
