Kaur, Bhatia Fifties Help MI Beat DC In Final-ball Thriller In WPL Opener – News18

Bengaluru, Feb 23: Forceful fifties by Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia helped defending champions Mumbai Indians ace an exhilarating closing-ball chase to beat Delhi Capitals by 4 wickets within the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2024) opener right here on Friday.

Skipper Harmanpreet made 55 (34b, 7×4, 1×6) as Mumbai scaled down 172 off the final ball and she or he was helped an ideal deal by Yastika, who made 57 off 45 balls (8×4, 2×6).

The 19-yr-previous Alice Capsey’s energy-packed 75 (53b, 8×4, 3×6) was an ideal vindication of her future star as she guided Delhi Capitals to 171 for 5, setting a tall barrier in entrance of Mumbai.

But the Mumbai outfit stayed within the match via nice efforts by Yastika and captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Despite their concerted efforts, Mumbai nonetheless wanted 12 runs off the final over bowled by off-spinner Capsey, who was later adjudged participant of the match.

Capsey ousted Harmanpreet and Pooja Vastrakar within the first and fifth balls of the twentieth over as Mumbai have been left to make 5 runs off the final ball.

But Sajana Sajeevan slammed the one ball she confronted over the lengthy-on fence to spark wild celebrations within the Mumbai camp.

But Mumbai started their goal looking on a disastrous observe, shedding Hayley Matthews within the second ball of the primary over itself — a unfastened drive exterior off-stump off pacer Marizanne Kapp ended within the palms of stumper Taniya Bhatia.

But Mumbai stored transferring ahead via two successive fifty stands involving Yastika, whose harsh therapy of veteran pacer Shikha Pandey (4, 4, 6) made for grand viewing.

The aggressive left-hander first added a fair fifty (35 balls) for the second wicket with Nat Sciver-Brunt (19) and adopted it up with a 56-run alliance with Harmanpreet in 7.1 overs for the third wicket.

Yastika reached her fifty in 35 balls with a six over lengthy-on off left-arm spinner Radha Yadav however she didn’t final lengthy as a pull off pacer Arundhati Reddy was snaffled by Kapp at deep mid-wicket.

However, Harmanpreet, who was dropped on 5 by Minnu Mani at mid-wicket off Arundhati, added 44 runs for the fourth wicket in 28 balls as Mumbai stayed afloat.

Earlier, Capsey joined her skipper Meg Lanning (31, 25b, 3×4, 1×6) after opener Shafali Verma was castled early by veteran pacer Shabnim Ismail.

Capsey and Lanning mustered 64 runs in simply over eight overs after making a gradual begin. Delhi have been 26 for 1 after the six Power Play overs.

But Capsey began the blitz, bunting skilled English pacer Nat Sciver-Brunt for 2 successive pulled fours via mid-wicket.

Lanning hammered the primary six of the match and match when she lofted leg-spinner S Keerthana over lengthy-on. But Brunt broke the burgeoning alliance when she ousted Lanning.

But Capsey remained relentless within the firm of her vice-captain Jemimah Rodrigues (42, 24, 5×4, 2×6), and collectively they added 73 runs for an entertaining third wicket partnership in 7.3 overs.

She was notably ruthless towards leg-spinner and countrymate Amelia Kerr, whom she slammed for a few fours.

However, Kerr had the final chortle when she trapped Capsey leg earlier than however the Capitals have been already able of power. However, it was not simply sufficient on the night time. PTI UNG AM UNG AM AM

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – PTI)