Opener Shafali Verma's 37-ball 71 helped Delhi Capitals (DC) beat Gujarat Giants by seven wickets with 41 balls to spare and reach the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 final in style. Gujarat Giants' top-order failed to get them off to a good start. The Beth Mooney-led side was outclassed in all departments of the game.
Poor start
Kapp was exceptional with the new ball. After four dot balls, Mooney got bowled in the first over. After a slow start, Dayalan Hemalatha got bowled by Jess Jonassen in the fourth over. It got worse for the Giants. Kapp in her third over got rid of Laura Wolvaaardt. She went for the drive but got caught by Shafali at mid-off. After powerplay overs, the Giants were 23/3. Ashleigh Gardner scored a couple of fours before she became victim to Minnu Mani in the ninth over. At the halfway stage, the Giants were 42/4.
Giants post respectable total
In Mani's next over, Phoebe Litchfield started with a six only to lose her wicket next ball. Bharati Fulmali tried to accelerate while Kathryn Bryce rotated the strike. They took the Giants past 100 in the 18th over. In the penultimate over, Fulmali departed. She got bowled by Shikha Pandey. Fulmali scored 42 runs from 36 balls including seven fours. On the next ball, Tanuja Kanwar got bowled. In the final over, Shabnam Shakil and Meghna Singh were run out. Bryce finished the innings with a four. Her unbeaten 22-ball 28 took the Giants to 126/9.
Shafali makes run chase look easy
DC's run chase got off to a fiery start. Lanning hit Bryce for four fours in the second over. Shafali took on Shakil and hit her for three fours. Meg Lanning was run out in the fourth over as Shafali was too late to deny the run. Then Kanwar dismissed Alice Capsey for a four-ball duck. Shafali hit the first six of the innings in the next over. After powerplay overs, DC were 45/2.
Shafali attacked Gardner early on and hit her for two sixes. Rodrigues targetted Mannat Kashyap and hit her for a six. The opener reached her half-century from 28 balls. Meghna was expensive in her second over. She was hit for one six and three fours. In the 13th over, Shafali went for the glory shot to finish the game but got caught at mid-off. She hit seven fours and five sixes in her 37-ball 71. Rodrigues finished the run chase with a boundary. She remained unbeaten for 38 off 28 balls.
DC will now take on either Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) or Mumbai Indians (MI) in the final on March 17. The eliminator between RCB and MI will be played on March 15.
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