By 
The Delhi Capitals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match of the WPL 2023 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Shafali Verma (84) captain Meg Lanning (72) along with USA’s pacer Tara Norris (5/29) sizzled in a comprehensive win for DC over the RCb.
Associate player and US pacer Norris became the first player to pick a five-wicket haul in the WPL, after Shafali and Lanning helped DC post 223/2.
Chasing a mammoth target, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana got into the groove quickly, lofting Marizanne Kapp for a couple of fours and a six in the second over. Sophie Devine joined the party in the next over as she creamed three fours through the off side off Shikha Pandey.
However, against the run of play Alice Capsey struck off just her second ball as she had Devine brilliantly caught by Shafali at mid off. In her next over, Capsey provided double delight as she had Mandhana caught at short fine leg.
Ellyse Perry though kept the scoreboard ticking with her placement and precision hitting three consecutive fours off Disha Kasat.
Just when it looked like things were picking up for RCB, Lanning’s another bowling change worked wonders as Tara Norris picked up four wickets in two overs to turn things around. She removed the dangerous looking Perry (31 off 19) and Disha Kasat in the 11th over and then Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja off consecutive balls in her next over.
Heather Knight and Megan Schutt then led RCB’s fightback with a 28-ball 54 run stand. The required run-rate kept creeping up. And it was meant to be Norris’ day as she came back to break the partnership and pick the first five-for of the WPL as she sent back Knight for 34.
In the end RCB fell well short, by 60 runs, and DC achieved a comprehensive victory.
Earlier, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and asked DC to bat first. It was the first time in the league that five overseas players featured in a side as Delhi Capitals included USA pacer Tara Norris, who became the first associate player to feature in the TATA WPL, in the side.
Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning got DC off to a solid start.
Pacer Renuka Thakur started off well and got a hint of early movement in the first over. She beat Shafali Verma’s outside edge and gave away just three runs.
Shafali and Lanning then took the aggressive approach in the second over bowled by Megan Schutt as they duo hit three fours in the over.
Shafali opened DC’s boundary account as she walked down the track and lofted one to wide long-on for four. Lanning too got her first boundary as she pulled one behind square leg and then cut one to third man for consecutive fours as the duo took 14 runs in the over.
Smriti Mandhana introduced spin in the fourth over bringing left-arm spinner Preeti Bose into the attack. Shafali though greeted her with a six by lofting the first ball effortlessly over long off. Bose, however, bounced back to give away just one run off the next five balls.
Shafali and Lanning then took the attack to Sophie Devine as the pair hit two boundaries each to accumulate 20 runs off the over and bring up the 50-run stand as DC reached 57/0 in the Powerplay.
The duo continued their juggernaut as they unfurled powerful lofts against spinner Sobhana Asha to hit two sixes and two fours to garner 22 off the over.
Shafali then brought up her fifty off just 31 balls and DC’s 100 with a single down to long on in the 10th over. Lanning too soon brought up her half-century, off 30 balls, with four off Heather Knight.
The pair continued to deal in boundaries as they hit 48 off the next four overs, including seven 4s and a six to bring up the 150 in the 14th over.
Knight finally provided RCB some relief as she sent back both the openers in the 15th over, breaking the 162-run opening stand. Lanning was cleaned up for 72 (43) while Shafali was caught behind for 84 (45).
The relief though lasted for a very short time as Marizanne Kapp (39* off 17) and Jemimah Rodrigues (22* off 15) took over from where Shafali and Lanning left off and smashed 60 runs off just 31 balls to power DC to 223/2 from 20 overs.
Tara Norris was named the Player of the Match for her brilliant figures of 5/29 from her four overs.
Brief scores:Â Delhi Capitals 223/2 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 84, Meg Lanning 72; Heather Knight 2/40) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 163/8 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 35, Heather Knight 34; Tara Norris 5/29, Alice Capsey 2/10) by 60 runs.
Comments