WPL 2023 RCB vs DC: RCB in the storm of Shefali and Mag Lanning, Delhi Capitals won the match by 60 runs

Mumbai: Delhi Capitals won Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) T20 match after a 162-run partnership for the first wicket between Shefali Verma (84) and captain Meg Lanning (72) with Tara Norris (5/29) brilliant. Defeated Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 60 runs. Delhi Capitals, after being invited to bat, scored a mammoth 223 for two with the help of half-centuries from Shefali and Lanning, which is the second highest score in women’s T20 franchise history.

Chasing this target, the RCB team could only manage 163 runs for eight wickets in 20 overs. For that, captain Smriti Mandhana contributed 35 runs, all-rounder Heather Knight contributed 34 runs and Alice Parry contributed 31 runs. Megan Shut remained unbeaten after scoring 30 runs. In the end, a 28-ball 54-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Knight (34 runs) and Megan Shutt brought the score to this point, otherwise the margin of defeat could have been bigger. For Delhi Capitals, Tara Norris sent five RCB players to the pavilion for 29 runs in four overs. Apart from them, Alice Capse took two wickets and Shikha Pandey took one wicket.

Mandhana and Sophie Devine (14 runs) got RCB off to a good start, putting on 41 for the first wicket but lost the New Zealander in the fifth over, who was dismissed by Ellyse Capse. Mandhana was then joined by Ellyse Perry (31 runs), both heading towards a good partnership but Capse again dealt a second blow to RCB by dismissing Mandhana. After this, the process of falling wickets of RCB continued.

Tara Norris bowled brilliantly, taking four wickets for six runs in her two overs (two in each over). Tara bowled Ellyse Perry in the first over and then dismissed Disha Cassat. Then in his second over, he made wicket-keeper batsman Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja his victims. It was too late for the eighth wicket partnership between Knight and Shutt, with the team well short of the target.

Earlier, Shefali was more aggressive in both the Delhi Capitals openers, hitting 10 fours and four sixes during her 45-ball innings. At the same time, World Cup winning Australian captain Lanning hit 14 fours during his 43-ball innings. Both were in good touch and the Royals were setting up the Challengers Bangalore bowling attack at the batting-friendly Brabourne Stadium. Both had hit 12 boundaries in the powerplay. The team had scored 100 runs in 10 overs.

RCB captain Mandhana used seven bowlers to break this partnership but in the end England’s Heather Knight got success. Knight gave double blow to Delhi Capitals by dismissing both the players in the 15th over.

Heather first bowled Lanning on the third ball of the 15th over and then a ball later had Shefali caught by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, ending their 84-ball partnership. But after this, Marijane Kapp (39 not out) and Jemima Rodrigues (22 not out) crossed the 200-run mark together and shared an unbeaten 60-run partnership in 31 balls. South African batsman Kapp hit three sixes and three fours in his 17-ball knock while Jemimah hit three fours in 15 balls.

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