WPL 2024: Marizanne Kapp, Radha Yadav set it up; Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning smash fifties in thumping win for DC

Both Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz came into their match on the back of heartbreaking defeats in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) openers after having victory in sight. The margins were incredibly fine. The contrast, however, couldn’t have been starker on Monday as DC thumped UPW in a one-sided affair to win by nine wickets with 33 balls to spare.

From the moment the coin fell in favour of Meg Lanning, barely anything went right for UP Warriorz. Opting to bowl first, Lanning handed the ball to Powerplay specialist Marizanne Kapp, who responded with a four-over burst of high quality, registering stunning figures of 4-1-5-3. Spinner Radha Yadav, who Lanning later said had come into this match as if with a point to prove, picked up four wickets. All UPW could manage was 119/9 in their 20 overs.

𝙏𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙢𝙥 🔥🔥

Marizanne Kapp gets Tahlia McGrath 💪#UPW three down inside the powerplay 🤯

Match Centre 💻📱https://t.co/YnKaBW7IeD#TATAWPL | #UPWvDC pic.twitter.com/5RgiH6iWzE

— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 26, 2024

If that felt under par at first glance, Shafali Verma and Lanning made it seem woefully inadequate. The duo, by some distance the best opening combination in the WPL last year, put on another three-figure stand, both scoring half-centuries.

While the batting effort was destructive, it was the bowling that had set up the win for DC. Kapp started the night getting her away-swingers right and choking the UPW batters with a nagging fourth-stump line on a good length. Vrinda Dinesh was the first to go, slicing one to deep third as she struggled for timing. In her next over, Kapp broke the back of UPW’s batting, with the wickets of Tahlia McGrath and captain Alyssa Healy.

McGrath, who struggled to get bat on ball when it swung away, was cleaned up by one that straightened after angling in. She missed the line completely and the ball struck the top of off. Healy, trying to force the pace, was caught sharply by a backtracking Shafali.

Then, it was over to Radha who showed great courage to keep flighting the ball against UPW’s big hitters, despite being taken for boundaries. Her first victim was Grace Harris, who fell after hitting a four. Then it was Kiran Navgire, who was caught and bowled by a teasing delivery outside off, moments after sending one soaring into the stands. It is that conviction in her craft that left Lanning impressed.

Down the ground and into the stands 💥@TheShafaliVerma reaches her half-century with a MAXIMUM 👊

Match Centre 💻📱https://t.co/YnKaBW7IeD#TATAWPL | #UPWvDC pic.twitter.com/JjeB0Wv6LW

— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 26, 2024

Radha showed good tactical awareness for her next wicket, as she dropped one short to beat the advancing Shweta Sehrawat – who top-scored with 45 – and had her stumped. Bowling the 20th over, the left-arm spinner dismissed Sophie Ecclestone.

UPW needed early wickets during the chase to stand any chance, but Shafali started with a bang. Lanning – not for the first time during the WPL – remarked later that she had fun watching the fireworks from the non-striker’s end. Shafali kept finding the boundary at regular intervals, being particularly severe on McGrath’s medium pace, smashing two fours and a six in one over to end the Powerplay.

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Lanning soon joined the party, showing off her impressive range of shots square of the wicket on either side. Frustration only grew in the UPW camp, as they dropped catches, misfielded, had a few squabbles, and eventually, were outplayed. Healy later spoke of having to make some decisions on their squad composition. With the likes of Chamari Athapaththu and Danni Wyatt waiting outside, she’d need to put her thinking cap on to figure out their batting line-up.

Brief scores: UP Warriorz 119/9 in 20 overs (Shweta Sehrawat 45; Radha Yadav 4/20, Marizanne Kapp 3/5) lost to Delhi Capitals 123/1 in 14.3 overs (Shafali Verma 64 not out, Meg Lanning 51) by 9 wickets

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