New Delhi, Mar 5 (PTI) Blistering fifties by skipper Meg Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues powered Delhi Capitals to a commanding 192 for four against Mumbai Indians in a top-of-the-table clash in the Women’s Premier League here on Tuesday.
Lanning hit the ball across the ropes six times and twice over it en route to a 38-ball 53, her third half-century, and added three useful partnerships to anchor the DC innings for the most part.
Jemimah then provided the late charge, smashing 8 fours and 3 sixes in 33 balls to take DC close to the 200-mark. Shafali Verma (28) and Alice Capsey (19) too chipped in with quick cameos.
For MI, Pooja Vastrakar was the standout bowler with figures of 4-0-20-1, while Saika Ishaque (1/29), Shabnim Ismail (1/46) and Hayley Matthews (1/23) were the other wicket-takers.
After the roaring success of the first leg in Bengaluru, the two teams received lukewarm response in the national capital with only a sparse crowd turning up in the beginning to watch the 2023 finalists in action at the Arun Jaitley stadium here.
It, however, didn’t dampen DC’s spirit openers Lanning and Shafali once again sent the bowlers on a leather hunt.
Returning to action after missing last two games, pacer Shabnim Ismail was put under the pump by Shafali, who carted her for two fours. Saika Ishaque gave Shafali a life at 15 when she dropped the opener in the 3rd over.
Lanning blasted the first maximum, flicking Nat Sciver-Brunt over long on, and then hit a four before surviving a leg before appeal in an eventful fourth over which yielded 14 runs.
Shafali then joined the party, clobbering Ismail for back-to-back sixes but the bowler had her revenge as she had Shafali caught behind. Delhi reached 56 for one in six overs.
Capsey joined hands with Lanning and added another 31 with the help of three boundaries before dragging one on to the stumps while trying a reverse slap in the 10th over off Hayley Matthews.
Lanning exploded in the 12th over with two fours and a six off Amelia Kerr, who conceded 20 runs in that over, as DC crossed the 100-mark.
The skipper soon completed her fifty in 36 balls with a four off Vastrakar in 13th over but perished a ball later with Kerr claiming the vital catch.
Mumbai tried to pull things back thereafter but Jemimah upped the scoring rate with a flurry of boundaries as DC scored 69 in last five overs.
She reached her fifty with a six off Sciver-Brunt in the 19th over. PTI ATK APA APA
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