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RCB Women clinch WPL title

cricket17 March 2024 17:27| © MWP
By:Brendon Atwell
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RCB © @wplt20 (X)

The Royal Challengers Bangalore Women secured an eight-wicket victory over the Delhi Capitals Women to lift the Tata Women's Premier League trophy at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday evening.

Delhi, who won the toss and elected to bat first, were bowled out for just 113 in 19.3 overs with the RCB spinners claiming nine of the wickets to fall. In reply, RCB took the game to the final over, ending on 115 for two with three balls to spare.

The Delhi Capitals, who lost in last year's final to the Mumbai Indians, began with urgency as Meg Lanning (23) and Shafari Verma (44) added 64 runs for the opening stand from just 43 balls. The pair had raced to 61 without loss at the end of the power play, however, Sophie Molineux's second over changed the face of the game.

The spinner grabbed three wickets in her second over, having Verma, who had struck two boundaries and three sixes from 27 balls, caught on the mid-wicket fence by Georgia Wareham. Two balls later, Molineux (4-0-20-3) clean-bowled Jemimah Rodrigues and then knocked over Alice Capsey the very next ball, both without scoring.

Delhi collapsed from 64 without loss to 87 for seven as Asha Sobhana (3-0-14-2) joined in the mayhem, having South African Marizanne Kapp (8) caught at long on by Sophie Devine and having Jess Jonassen (3) slicing to Smriti Manadhana at mid-off.

Shreyanka Patil (3.3-0-12-4) bowled beautifully, trapping Lanning in front, before cleaning up the tail, trapping Minnu Mani (5) in front, castling Arundhati Reddy (10) and having Taniyaa Bhatia caught down the leg side for a first-ball duck.

The RCB spinners claimed the most wickets by a WPL team in a game, beating the previous best of eight by the UP Warriorz against RCB last season.

In reply, RCB started cautiously, as Mandhana (31) and Devine (32) treaded carefully, adding 49 for the first wicket at a run a ball. The pair scored just 25 in the power play before Devine slotted five boundaries and a six from 27 balls but then was trapped in front by Shikha Pandey (4-0-11-1).

The loss of Devine slowed the scoring rate, as Mandhana and Ellyse Perry (35 not out) added 33 runs for the second wicket from 31 balls. Mandhana struck just three fours in her 39-ball stay but was caught at mid-on by Reddy from the bowling of Minnu Mani (2-0-12-1).

Perry, who faced 37 deliveries, struck four boundaries and guided her side to victory, along with Richa Ghosh, who herself struck two fours from 14 balls to end unbeaten on 17.

The RCB Women will feel absolute joy, having accomplished something their male counterparts have yet to achieve - a Premier League title!

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