WPL | Lethal Lee and all-round Shafali earn Capitals first win with convincing chase against Warriorz

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

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Delhi Capitals held their nerves in a run-chase that got too close for comfort against the UP Warriorz in Navi Mumbai. Meg Lanning's 54 was followed by a middle-order collapse enroute to 154/8, before a 94-run opening stand between Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma set the stage for a seven-wicket win.

Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma's 94-run opening stand for Delhi Capitals set the base for a chase of 155 against UP Warriorz in the WPL in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday

‌Asked to bat first, UP Warriorz got off to an ominous start with Kiran Navgire missing the first ball attempting a heave followed by a close LBW shout. The third ball was the charm for Marizanne Kapp as Navgire skied one trying onther slog and Shafali Verma pocketed a simple catch to send the opener packing in what turned out to be a maiden wicket. Nevertheless, the Australian duo of Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield got proceedings underway by combining for three boundaries in Minnu Mani's first over, before adding five more through the powerplay to take the six-over score to 47/1. DC skipper Jemimah Rodrigues brought on Sneh Rana as soon as the field spread and the veteran struck immediately, deceiving the charging Litchfield with flight and turn to have her stumped for a 20-ball 27. Lanning at the other end kept chugging along all the same with a boundary straight after before Deol opened her fours tally by sweeping Shree Charani in the over that followed. Lanning upped the ante further by dispatching Chinelle Henry for a maximum and a four in a 15-run ninth over, and at the halfway stage the Warriorz found themselves well placed at 84/2. Deol sensed the moment was right to switch gears as she struck Rana for back-to-back boundaries, a treatment Lanning meted out to Nandani Sharma in the next over to bring up her 10th WPL half-century, off 32 deliveries. Deol struck two more fours off Charani even as Shafali stemmed the scoring at one end by conceding just seven in her first two overs, and the partnership entered the 80s. Nandani finally brought about the breakthrough in the 16th over when Lanning's pick up shot found deep square leg but with the score 138/3 and four overs to go, the Warriorz seemed set for a daunting total. That is, until their coaching staff inexplicably decided to retire out Harleen Deol at the end of the 17th over with the veteran on 47 in 36 deliveries, thus triggering a self-engineered collapse. Her replacement Chloe Tryon lasted all of three balls before holing out, before Kapp pinned Sophie Ecclestone plumb in the following over. Shafali capped off an excellent day with the ball with two wickets in the final over to end with 2/16 as the Warriorz managed just 13 runs in three overs following Deol's departue to end on a subpar 154/8 on a good batting track.

In response, Lizelle Lee set the tone for the Warriorz early with a ferocious pull against Kranti Gaud in the first over before Shafali got underway by steering Shikha Pandey for four through the covers in the following over. However, the duo struggled to rotate strike, which meant Lee's four boundaries were only enough to keep the team at run-a-ball with the final over of the powerplay to go. Hoping to capitalize on the stagnation, Tryon took the ball in hand to cap off the field restrictions, but was clattered by Lee for consecutive boundaries followed by the first maximum of the innings as the Capitals ended the powerplay on 46/0. Shafali welcomed the spread of field by thumping Asha Shobhana through square leg for four, and dealt out two more against Ecclestone after Lee had slog swept her for six in an eighth over worth 18. Lee brought up a 31-ball half-century at the halfway mark a ball after smashing Tryon for another six, and the Capitals found themselves 87/0 needing 68 off 60 deliveries. The Warriorz sparked some hope when Shobhana finally dispatched Shafali for a 32-ball in the 12th over to break the 94-run stand in an over worth just two runs, and a sluggish start for Laura Wolvaardt brought the equation to 47 in the final six. Lanning chose the moment to finally hand the ball to Deepti Sharma and the move seemed to backfire when Lee struck her third ball down the ground for four, but the spinner had the final laugh as the South African holed out for an explosive 67 the very next ball. However, Rodrigues struck a four quickly after arrival before Wolvaardt pumped Ecclestone for six in a 16th over worth 13 to seize back momentum and leave just 27 to get in the final four overs. Rodrigues seemed to have killed the chase with two reverse sweeps for four against Deepti thereafter, but a two-run Shikha Pandey over culminated in Rodrgiues holing out for 21 with seven still needed in as many deliveries. Kapp kept her cool to squeeze a boundary on the second ball of the final over but it eventually boiled down to a run on the final ball, and her compatriot Wolvaardt pierced the packed infield with a trademark cover drive to secure victory.

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