WPL | Devine denies Prasad-Rana miracle in all-time classic to keep Gujarat Giants in hunt for top-spot

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

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Gujarat Giants kept themselves in the race for a direct finals spot with a thrilling three-run win over Delhi Capitals in Vadodara. Beth Mooney's 58 helped the hosts post 174/9 and the Capitals collapsed early, but an incredulous finish from Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana nearly took them over.

‌Asked to bat first, Gujarat Giants got off to a flying start with three quick Sophie Devine boundaries to race to 19/0 after the first two overs. However, the momentum was halted by a jaffa from Marizanne Kapp that decked into the in-form Kiwi and sounded her the death rattle, bringing Anushka Sharma to the crease alongside Beth Mooney. Anushka picked up exactly where Devine had left, as she laced a couple of gorgeous boundaries against Nandani Sharma before belting Kapp for three fours in the penultimate over of the powerplay to take the six-over score to 53/1. Delhi Capitals responded to the spread of field by bringing on spin from both ends but while Shree Charani stemmed the flow with six singles in an over, Sneh Rana conceded two more boundaries off Ansuhka's bat to spur the score further. A dropped sitter from Chinelle Henry in Charani's ensuing over threatened to exacerbate matters further, only for Anushka to hole out very next ball for a 25-ball 39, the score reading 80/2 at the halfway stage. Kapp came back on to finish her quota and was greeted by three boundaries from Mooney, who had struggled for rhythm thus far, to hand the initiative back to the hosts. Minnu Mani responded by claiming the wicket of skipper Ashleigh Gardner, albeit the seesaw in momentum continued with three more fours from Mooney across the next two overs to bring up a 40-ball half-century. Charani pegged back the Giants once again by disturbing Goergia Wareham's furniture after a quick cameo of 11, but the stage was set for a grand finish with the score 129/4 after 15. However, Bharati Fulmali and Mooney departed in the next two overs worth just 10 before Charani claimed Kashvee Gautam and Kanika Ahuja in her final over to end with figures of 4/31 and leave Giants on the backfoot. Yet, some sloppy work in the field was followed by Tanuja Kanwer going gangbusters in the final over bowled by Henry, her 11-ball 21 taking the Giants to a competitive 174/9 at the end of their 20.

In response, Shafali Varma got the chase off to a flier by bashing Renuka Singh over her head for a first-ball four, and the pacer responded by spraying one down leg side that beat Mooney comprehensively to add five more to Delhi's tally. Another Shafali boundary followed a couple of deliveries later in an over eventually worth 16 before a boundary each from Shafali and Lizelle Lee in Kashvee Gautam's opening effort took the score to 26/0 after two. Gardner responded by bringing on spin with Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and the plan worked to perfection as they lured Shafali into taking on long-on where Gardner was waiting to pocket the simplest of catches. With Lee struggling for rhythm, the Giants quietly shackled the Capitals with dots albeit a spree of extras kept the women in blue afloat. Devine was particularly culpable, giving away five wides in the final over of the powerplay immediately after Mooney had let slip four byes, but made up for it by having Lee hole out on the final ball for 20-ball 11 to cap off the powerplay at 51/2. Kanwer and Gardner tightened the screws further once the field spread by conceding just 15 off the next three overs, and by the halfway stage the Capitals were left needing 97 in the final 10 overs. Devine added to the misery by rattling the stumps of Jemimah Rodrigues while she attempted a cheeky scoop over the keeper, two balls before Gardner spun one past Kapp's inside edge to send her packing for a golden duck. Gayakwad added to the collapse by striking timber against a desperate Wolvdaart as the required run rate climbed, and effectively killed off the encounter with Henry's scalp in her final over to leave the Capitals needing 75 off 33 deliveries. Nevertheless, Niki Prasad and Rana continued to fight as they struck a four each in the following over, but the Capitals truly began to believe when the former smashed Devine for four consecutive boundaries while Rana struck a maximum down the ground to bring the equation down to 37 off 18. Eight runs off Kanwer's final effort kept the encounter in the balance still, and Gardner took the responsibility of bowling the penultimate over herself. She created an opportunity first ball when Rana struck one to square leg, but the ball split a leaping Wareham's hands to go all the way. Under pressure, Gardner went full for the next two balls, and each time Rana danced down the deck to smash fours before Prasad added a third to leave nine needed in the final over. A quick double followed by a wide brought Delhi closer, but Devine fired by having Rana hole out at midwicket, eventually leaving Prasad four to get on the final ball. Devine banged it on a length and Prasad lofted it down the ground but only as far as long-on, clinching a thrilling win for the Giants.

Sophie is GOAT

What a win

Does it again!

Hero!

Thriller

Horrible

They were about to Bottle

Crazy

Too good

Thriller

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