Delhi Capitals pulled off a thrilling 1-run win against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the crucial Women's Premier League 2024 match and secured a playoff qualification with a game in hand on Sunday.
A quick fifty from Jemimah Rodrigues and a crucial 48 from Alice Capsey boosted Delhi to 181/5 total batting first at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. RCB struggled for the start but 51 runs off 29 balls from youngster Richa Ghosh took the game to the last ball.
Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen combined to run out Richa on the last ball of the game when RCB needed just two runs to win the game.
A win boosted Meg Lanning-led Delhi to the top of the points table with five wins in seven games, on a level with defending champions Mumbai Indians. Bangalore and UP Warriorz chase the third and final playoff qualification spot with Gujarat Titans out of the race.
Marizanne Kapp returned to Delhi's playing eleven while Bangalore made three changes with Shreyanka Patil, Disha Kasat and Shradda Pokharkar coming in.
In-form Meg Lanning and Shafali Veram gave Delhi an impressive start by adding 50-plus runs in powerplay overs. But the returning Shreyanka and veteran Asha Sobhana balanced the game with successive wickets of Delhi openers.
Jemimah and Capsey added 97 runs for the third wicket with the former smashing her second fifty of the season. Jemimah top-scored with 58 off 36 balls with eight fours and one six and later clinched the Player of the Match award.
Shreyanka Patil bowled an impressive spell in the death overs to deny Delhi a 200-plus total. Shreyanka took four wickets for 26 as Delhi posted 181/5 in 20 overs.
Chasing a tough total, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their captain and in-form opener Smriti Mandhana on just five runs in the second over. But RCB made a stunning comeback with Australian stars Ellyse Perry and Sophie Molineux adding 80 runs for the second wicket.
Molineux scored 33 off 30 balls, her highest WPL score, while Perry missed her second fifty of the season by just one run. RCB lost both settled batters in successive overs to concede pressure in the middle overs.
But Richa Ghosh and Sophie Devine staged a remarkable comeback in the closing stages to take the game to the wire. Devine scored 26 off 16 balls but Richa produced her second fifty of the season. She smashed two sixes off Jess Jonassen when RCB needed 17 runs off six balls. But the youngster failed to find a single on the last ball and was run out by Shafali and Jonassen.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Playing XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh (wk), Disha Kasat, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Shraddha Pokharkar, Renuka Thakur Singh.
Delhi Capitals Playing XI: Meg Lanning (c), Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Arundhati Reddy, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu.
