Kapp and Shafali give UP Warriorz a thrashing
Radha Yadav and Meg Lanning played the perfect support roles with ball and bat respectively, as Delhi Capitals secured their first points of the 2024 WPL
Radha Yadav and Meg Lanning played the perfect support roles with ball and bat respectively, as Delhi Capitals secured their first points of the 2024 WPL
Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar
10:40pm That brings us to the end of our coverage for tonight. We will be back at it tomorrow as the Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Gujarat Giants. Until then, it is goodbye from all of us. Take care!
Meg Lanning, Delhi Capitals captain: I thought it was an excellent performance. Kapp was incredible up front. Bowled four overs straight and picked up three important wickets. Radha was excellent as well. (On Shafali Verma) It is a lot of fun batting with her, being at the other end watching her smash it. She does not need to complicate anything, and it is about encouraging her to play to her strengths. She (Radha) has been bowling well in the nets and the practice games. She came in today with a look in her eye that she wanted to contribute. For a spinner to bowl the last over and do it well, shows she is confident. (On choosing the heavy roller during the innings break) I always pick the heavy one, not sure if it always works (laughs).
Marizanne Kapp, Player of the Match: I was happy when we won the toss tonight. Nice to go out there and bowl. Really pleased with the win. (On Vrinda Dinesh's wicket) It was not a very good ball. But I will take it. I think the last couple of months, I have not been too happy about my bowling. Tried to go back and sort it out and thankfully it has worked out. (On which spell is her favourite: tonight's spell or the one against Gujarat Giants last year) A bit of both, just happy with the win. (On bowling the fourth over on the trot) I love bowling with the new ball. That is the plan. If I am bowling well, we go through.
Alyssa Healy, UP Warriorz captain: (On going in with a spin-heavy attack) We don't have a lot of pace-bowling options anyway, so it was a 50-50 call. The wicket decided to play quite nicely in the end and we did not execute with the ball. (What she would change about their batting performance) Put a few more runs on the board (smiles). The wicket was holding a fraction (at the start) and we could not adjust quick enough. It is not about being reckless, about being smart with your decision-making. We want to play high-tempo. We were a little off and we have to be better in two days' time. You can't dwell too much but you need to reflect on what has happened as well. It is about turning up with the right attitude and getting it done. (On possible changes to the playing eleven) We have a lot of choices. Hard decisions to make every single game. We can bring in someone like Chamari Athapaththu who has been in fine form. Those are the discussions we have before every game.
Shafali Verma: Feeling very good, could not get going the other day. Wanted to get the job done tonight. (What she did different today) Today, it was on my mind that I wanted to build on my innings and that is what I kept in mind. (On Lanning being in the firing line of some of her strokes) She is very quick, I know she will get out of the way (laughs). It helps when I am batting with her, she backs me a lot when we are out in the middle. Disappointment was there because she (Lanning) got out with just one run left. Nothing related to not getting the third run a ball before.
10:18pm A resounding and thumping nine-wicket win for last year's runners-up and they move up to second, courtesy of a superior NRR. They did not have many to chase but the way their openers went about it would have thrilled them. Shafali tore into the Warriorz's bowling attack, while Lanning batted sedately at the other end. The DC skipper fell with just one run to get, but that was the only blip (if you can call it that) in an otherwise spotless batting display.
Plenty to ponder for the Warriorz. Their bowling attack felt too one-dimensional and they were not helped by the lack of assistance for the spinners. The fielding was not great and they dropped a host of chances, most notably inside the powerplay when Lanning was accorded a life. The batters failed to do their job too, and after a couple of games, they have lots of introspection to indulge in, across the board.
Rodrigues is the new batter in. Just a run needed
MM Lanning c Vrinda b Ecclestone 51 (57m 43b 6x4 0x6) SR: 118.60
Just three needed. Could very well be the last over of the game. Ecclestone to bowl
Her heroics at the top set the platform for Radha Yadav to take four later and set up a big win for Delhi Capitals
Radha Yadav and Meg Lanning played the perfect support roles with ball and bat respectively, as Delhi Capitals secured their first points of the 2024 WPL