Mumbai: A brilliant 162-run opening partnership between Shafali Verma and captain Meg Lanning followed by a strong finish from Marizanne Kapp and Jemimah Rodrigues propelled Delhi Capitals to a massive 223/2 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in WPL 2023 at Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.
While Shafali top-scored with 84 off 45 balls, Meg was fantastic in her 72 off 43 balls. Marizanne finished with an unbeaten 39 off 17 balls, while Jemimah was not out on 22 off 15 balls to post the second-highest score in Women’s T20 franchise cricket.
Pushed into batting first, the carnage from Shafali and Meg began in the second over when three boundaries were hit off Megan Schutt. Spin was introduced by Bangalore from fourth over, but it was no stopping Shafali as she welcomed Preeti Bose with a lofted six over long-off.
With every over till then producing a boundary, Meg and Shafali inflicted carnage on Sophie Devine in the sixth over, attacking the lengths outside off-stump to hit four boundaries as Delhi signed off from the first six overs with 57/0.
Post power-play, there was no stopping Shafali’s aerial shots or Meg’s exquisite timing. In the ninth over from Asha Shobana, Shafali danced down the pitch twice to hit huge sixes over bowler’s head apart from a sweep yielding four, while Meg nudged one past mid-on to make it 22 off the over.
Shafali reached her half-century, off only 31 balls in the tenth over, raising her bat and also bringing up the 100-run stand of the opening partnership off just 58 balls. In the next over, Meg also got her fifty with a sweep down leg off Heather Knight for a boundary.
Shafali and Meg continued to play their shots, manoeuvre the gaps effortlessly as their partnership went past 150, with Bangalore looking rattled. But they finally found breakthrough in the 15th over, when Heather had Meg clean bowled while trying to dance down the pitch. Two balls later, Shafali fell as she edged behind to Richa Ghosh.
Marizanne Kapp and Jemimah Rodrigues gave the perfect finish to Delhi by hitting six fours and three sixes in the last five overs as the crowd was treated to an amazing batting performance from Delhi.
Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 223/2 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 84, Meg Lanning 72; Heather Knight 2/40) against Royal Challengers Bangalore
(IANS)
