The DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai played host to a thrilling encounter between Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League 2023 (WPL 2023) on March 7. Both teams had won their opening games and were keen to continue their winning streak. Delhi Capitals had beaten Royal Challengers Bangalore by 60 runs in their first match, while UP Warriorz had won a close encounter against Gujarat Giants by three wickets. The fans were in for a treat as the two teams went head-to-head in Match 5 of the tournament.
Delhi Capitals won the toss and decided to bat first. They got off to a great start, with Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma taking the attack to the UP bowlers in the powerplay. The two batters scored 62 runs in the first six overs before Shafali was dismissed by Tahlia McGrath in the seventh over. Marizanne Kapp came in at number three and steadied the ship for DC.
Lanning continued to score at a brisk pace from one end. She was eventually dismissed for 70 off 42 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes. DC were well placed at 112/3 in the 11th over when Lanning departed. Jemimah Rodrigues, Alice Capsey, and Jess Jonassen went all out in the death overs, scoring 34*, 21, and 42* runs, respectively. Jemimah and Jess collectively scored 58 runs in the last four overs to help DC end up with a mammoth total of 211/4.
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For UP Warriorz, Shabnim Ismail, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Ecclestone, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad got one wicket each. However, their bowling was expensive, and they struggled to contain the DC batters, especially in the death overs.
During the chase, Alyssa Healy started well for UP, scoring 22 runs off the first two overs. However, she failed to carry on and was dismissed by Jess Jonassen in the fourth over, scoring 24 off 17 balls. Kiran Nagvire followed her in the same over, getting dismissed for just two runs. Shweta Sehrawat also couldn’t hold on long, departing in the next over to Kapp, scoring just one run off six balls.
Suddenly, UP found themselves in trouble at 31/3 in 4.2 overs. Deepti Sharma also got dismissed in the 11th over to Shikha Pandey, scoring 12 runs off 20 balls, with the scoreboard reading 71/4 in 10.1 overs.
Tahlia McGrath stood strong at one end and kept the scoreboard ticking. She found some help from Devika Vaidya, who scored 23 runs off 21 balls, but it wasn’t enough to get over the line. Tahlia was smashing the DC bowlers and ended up unbeaten on 90 runs off 50 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes. However, UP could only manage 169/5 on the board, ultimately losing by 42 runs.
For Delhi Capitals, Jess Jonassen was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 43 runs in her four overs. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey got one wicket each. They bowled with discipline and kept the UP batters in check throughout the innings.
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Delhi Capitals will be brimming with confidence after their clinical victory. Their top order looks formidable, with Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma providing explosive starts. Marizanne Kapp and Jemimah Rodrigues can play the anchor role, while the lower order comprising Alice Capsey and Jess Jonassen can provide the late surge.
Their bowling looks solid, with Shikha Pandey and Jess Jonassen leading the attack and support from Kapp, Norris, and Capsey. DC can expect to carry this momentum forward and build on this win to make a strong bid for the playoffs.
On the other hand, UP Warriorz will be disappointed with their performance. Their batting looked shaky, with Alyssa Healy and Deepti Sharma failing to make an impact. Tahlia McGrath showed her class with a brilliant unbeaten 90, but she lacked support from the other end. Their bowling also lacked teeth, with Shabnim Ismail and Sophie Ecclestone not picking up wickets. UP needs to regroup quickly and address these issues if they want to make a mark in the competition.
WPL 2023: Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz Brief Score
Delhi Capitals 211/4 in 20 overs (Meg Lanning 70, Jess Jonassen 42*; Shabnim Ismail 1/29) beat UP Warriorz 169/5 in 20 overs (Tahlia McGrath 90*; Jess Jonassen 3/43) by 42 runs.
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