The 10th match of the Women’s Premier League 2024 saw the Delhi Capitals Women (DCW) extend their winning run with a 25-run victory against the Gujarat Giants (GGT). DCW successfully defended a total of 163. Ashleigh Gardner’s heroic efforts fell short of the Gujarat Giants’ win.
Delhi have won for the third time in a row, extending their lead to eight points. They have emerged as strong title contenders in the WPL’s inaugural season with their in-form batting and a diverse bowling attack.
Player of the Match: Jess Jonassen
Jess Jonassen’s exceptional bowling performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
- Batting: Jess Jonassen scored 11 runs off 7 balls for the Delhi Capitals women. Her strike rate was 157.14.
- Bowling: Jonassen bowled 4 overs and took 3 wickets for 22 runs. Her economic rate was 5.50.
- Her bowling figures were 4-22-3.
The batters she dismissed were:
- Beth Mooney (bowled) for 12 off 14 balls
- Phoebe Litchfield (caught) for 15 off 10 balls
- Ashleigh Gardner (stumped) for 40 off 31 balls
A solid performance from both the bat and ball earns Delhi Capitals women the victory over Gujarat Giants women at the Chinnaswamy Stadium š„š#DCWvGGW #WPL2024 #Insidesport #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/wvSwkwxUHa
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) March 3, 2024
Key Stats
- Meg Lanning was the top scorer for Delhi with 55 off 41 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six.
- Shafali Verma gave Delhi a fast start with 13 off 9 balls.
- Jess Jonassen proved economical by conceding just 22 runs in 4 overs while taking 3 wickets.
- Meghna Singh was the standout bowler, with 4/37 from her 4 overs for Gujarat.
- Ashleigh Gardner struck 40 off 31 balls for Gujarat but lacked support.
- Radha Yadav (3/20) and Arundhati Reddy (1/27) bowled tidily to restrict Gujarat.
The match in detail
Delhi Capitals Women Batting Powered by Lanning Fifty
Put in to bat first, Delhi openers Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning got their team off to a strong start. Verma was aggressive from ball one, smashing a four and six in her quick 13 off 9 balls. Her partner, Lanning, settled in with some stylish drives and cuts. She brought up her fifth T20I fifty off 39 balls, continuing her recent good form.
The platform set by the openers allowed youngster Alice Capsey to come in and play freely. She struck five crisp boundaries in her sparkling 27 off 17 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking. However, three quick strikes by Meghna Singh pegged Delhi back. She removed Verma, Lanning, and Capsey from the space of 10 balls.
Jemimah Rodrigues (7 off 10) also fell cheaply to Kashyap’s leg spin, leaving Delhi at 111/4 in the 14th over. Annabel Sutherland provided a late cameo with 20 off 12 balls before holing out. Wily left-arm spinner Jonassen chipped in as well with a 7-ball 11 to take the score past 160.
Some tight death bowling from Gujarat’s seamers meant Delhi ended at 163/8. It was a par total and gave their bowlers something to defend on a slowish surface aiding spinners.
Gujarat Giants Stumbles in Modest Chase
Gujarat, which needed 164 to win, suffered an early setback when in-form opener Laura Wolvaardt was bowled by Pandey for a three-ball duck. Captain Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield were then in charge of rebuilding. However, both fell during the powerplay to Jonassen’s left-arm spin, leaving Gujarat at 34/3 after 4.5 overs.
Veda Krishnamurthy steadied things briefly with 12 off 13 balls. However, the big wicket of Ash Gardner for 40 off 31 balls put Gujarat firmly on the back foot. None of the lower-order batters could stick around with Krishnamurthy to keep Gujarat in the hunt.
Yadav (3/20) deservedly grabbed the wickets of Bryce and Kanwar who both got starts but failed to capitalize. Reddy (1/27) held her nerve at the death chipping in as well. Pandey polished off the tail getting the final wicket as Gujarat ended well short at 138/8.
Jonassen was named Player of the Match for her economical 3/22, which included the key scalps of Mooney and Litchfield. With their third straight win, the Delhi Capitals look strong heading into the second phase in Delhi. For Gujarat, it is back to the drawing board as their fragile batting needs urgent attention.