Another close game! While our girls came tantalizingly close to sealing a playoff spot, Gujarat Giants edged through to take the points on a thrilling night.
While Poonam Yadav made her TATA WPL debut, fellow spinner Jess Jonassen stood out with the ball as the Giants were restricted to 147/4, despite fifties from Laura Wolvaardt and Ashleigh Gardner.
Gardner, meanwhile, maintained her momentum with the ball as the opposition broke through our top order in the chase. While Marizanne Kapp and Arundhati Reddy seemed to have done enough to take us over the line, Gujarat Giants held on to win by 11 runs.
DC Bowlers Restrict Gujarat Early On:
After winning the toss, our skipper Meg Lanning decided to put the Giants in to bat first. The bowling unit, led by Marizanne Kapp, made it a worthy decision in the powerplay.
In the first over, Kappie dismissed the dangerous Sophia Dunkley to add another wicket to her glorious TATA WPL season.
Our Protea all-rounder was impressively backed up by others during the first phase of the innings. While wickets did not tumble, Lanning cleverly kept shuffling the bowlers.
Smart captaincy and brilliant bowling prevented Harleen Deol and Laura Wolvaardt from scoring freely. With the scoring rate at less than run-a-ball at the halfway mark, we were in a good position.
Meanwhile, we celebrated when Jess Jonassen sent Harleen packing after a 33-ball 31 in the 10th over. A dynamic start for the DC girls!
Late Fightback Restricts GG:
While our bowlers had the upper hand early on, Laura Wolvaardt and Ashleigh Gardner stitched a brisk partnership in the second half of the innings. The 81-run stand, wherein Wolvaardt amassed her first TATA WPL fifty, set up a solid finish for the Giants. Gardner, meanwhile, also scored a half-century.
However, Arundhati Reddy got the much-needed breakthrough in the penultimate over. The 25-year-old celebrated her first wicket in the competition. Jonassen, too, grabbed a wicket on the final ball as Gujarat were curtailed to 148.
Topsy-Turvy Start To The Chase
With all the good vibes of the reverse fixture in mind, our openers took the field for the run chase.
The Brabourne Stadium did not witness Shafali Verma’s batting heroics this time out. Meg Lanning, meanwhile, couldn’t build on her measured start.
However, Alice Capsey once again brightly showcased her talent with an 11-ball 22. The English all-rounder smashed two fours and two sixes in her promising cameo.
Chin Up And Onto The Next One!
Kapp, our match-winner from a few nights before, kept us firmly in the hunt. With her exquisite range of shots, the 33-year-old was a shining light in difficult circumstances. Kappie notched up 36 runs off 29 balls, but alas, her innings came to an end after a close run out.
However, GG were not Reddy for Arundhati’s valiant batting effort. Showcasing her class lower down the order, Arundhati smashed four crisp boundaries, leaving the bowlers perplexed.
While the run chase looked tricky, Shikha Pandey’s able support made it look realistic until the 18th over. However, it wasn’t to be Reddy as she was dismissed by Kim Garth with 13 runs still to chase.
Gujarat Giants sealed an 11-run victory in the penultimate over of the match, meaning we have to wait for another game to confirm a playoff spot.
Alongside her brisk knock, Reddy also took her first wicket of the tournament, which will boost her confidence.
Kappie, once again, welded the willow to her will and chipped in with a wicket early on. Her form will be a great positive for us heading into the final two games of the league stage. Jonassen, too, was among the wickets, which bodes well for Meg Lanning and Co.
Meanwhile, we head onto a three-day break after which we take on table-toppers Mumbai Indians. A win at the DY Patil Stadium, where we have created some memorable moments, on Monday will seal our top-three spot in the TATA WPL 2023.
Brief scores: Gujarat Giants 147/4 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 57; Jess Jonassen 2/38, Marizanne Kapp 1/24) beat Delhi Capitals 136 in 18.4 overs (Marizanne Kapp 36, Arundhati Reddy 25; Kim Garth 2/18) by 11 runs.
Player of the Match: Ashleigh Gardner
Another close game! While our girls came tantalizingly close to sealing a playoff spot, Gujarat Giants edged through to take the points on a thrilling night.
While Poonam Yadav made her TATA WPL debut, fellow spinner Jess Jonassen stood out with the ball as the Giants were restricted to 147/4, despite fifties from Laura Wolvaardt and Ashleigh Gardner.
Gardner, meanwhile, maintained her momentum with the ball as the opposition broke through our top order in the chase. While Marizanne Kapp and Arundhati Reddy seemed to have done enough to take us over the line, Gujarat Giants held on to win by 11 runs.
DC Bowlers Restrict Gujarat Early On:
After winning the toss, our skipper Meg Lanning decided to put the Giants in to bat first. The bowling unit, led by Marizanne Kapp, made it a worthy decision in the powerplay.
In the first over, Kappie dismissed the dangerous Sophia Dunkley to add another wicket to her glorious TATA WPL season.
Our Protea all-rounder was impressively backed up by others during the first phase of the innings. While wickets did not tumble, Lanning cleverly kept shuffling the bowlers.
Smart captaincy and brilliant bowling prevented Harleen Deol and Laura Wolvaardt from scoring freely. With the scoring rate at less than run-a-ball at the halfway mark, we were in a good position.
Meanwhile, we celebrated when Jess Jonassen sent Harleen packing after a 33-ball 31 in the 10th over. A dynamic start for the DC girls!
Late Fightback Restricts GG:
While our bowlers had the upper hand early on, Laura Wolvaardt and Ashleigh Gardner stitched a brisk partnership in the second half of the innings. The 81-run stand, wherein Wolvaardt amassed her first TATA WPL fifty, set up a solid finish for the Giants. Gardner, meanwhile, also scored a half-century.
However, Arundhati Reddy got the much-needed breakthrough in the penultimate over. The 25-year-old celebrated her first wicket in the competition. Jonassen, too, grabbed a wicket on the final ball as Gujarat were curtailed to 148.
Topsy-Turvy Start To The Chase
With all the good vibes of the reverse fixture in mind, our openers took the field for the run chase.
The Brabourne Stadium did not witness Shafali Verma’s batting heroics this time out. Meg Lanning, meanwhile, couldn’t build on her measured start.
However, Alice Capsey once again brightly showcased her talent with an 11-ball 22. The English all-rounder smashed two fours and two sixes in her promising cameo.
Chin Up And Onto The Next One!
Kapp, our match-winner from a few nights before, kept us firmly in the hunt. With her exquisite range of shots, the 33-year-old was a shining light in difficult circumstances. Kappie notched up 36 runs off 29 balls, but alas, her innings came to an end after a close run out.
However, GG were not Reddy for Arundhati’s valiant batting effort. Showcasing her class lower down the order, Arundhati smashed four crisp boundaries, leaving the bowlers perplexed.
While the run chase looked tricky, Shikha Pandey’s able support made it look realistic until the 18th over. However, it wasn’t to be Reddy as she was dismissed by Kim Garth with 13 runs still to chase.
Gujarat Giants sealed an 11-run victory in the penultimate over of the match, meaning we have to wait for another game to confirm a playoff spot.
Alongside her brisk knock, Reddy also took her first wicket of the tournament, which will boost her confidence.
Kappie, once again, welded the willow to her will and chipped in with a wicket early on. Her form will be a great positive for us heading into the final two games of the league stage. Jonassen, too, was among the wickets, which bodes well for Meg Lanning and Co.
Meanwhile, we head onto a three-day break after which we take on table-toppers Mumbai Indians. A win at the DY Patil Stadium, where we have created some memorable moments, on Monday will seal our top-three spot in the TATA WPL 2023.
Brief scores: Gujarat Giants 147/4 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 57; Jess Jonassen 2/38, Marizanne Kapp 1/24) beat Delhi Capitals 136 in 18.4 overs (Marizanne Kapp 36, Arundhati Reddy 25; Kim Garth 2/18) by 11 runs.
Player of the Match: Ashleigh Gardner
