The partnership between Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma reached new levels when the Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a dominating 10-wicket victory over the Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, March 11. In yet another 100+ partnership for the stylish opening duo, this time it was the show of Shafali, who scored a 26-ball 76, including her 50 off just 19 balls, which is the fastest half-century by an Indian in the Women’s Premier League.
It was also the second-fastest of the tournament, after Sophia Dunkley's 18-ball 50, but the English opener was dropped for this game.
Shafali's innings included eight fours and two sixes as the Capitals took apart their opponent bowlers in the powerplay overs, i.e the first six overs. Shafali's power-hitting ensured that her side scored 87 runs in these six overs while chasing a timid total of 106 runs.
This was her second half-century of the tournament after her 84 runs off 45 deliveries against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first match of the tournament. The Lanning-Verma partnership were at its best in that game as well, smashing a record partnership of 162 runs.
In that game, Shafali played the anchor role, but here, it was all Shafali as Lanning scored just 21 off 15 balls. The winning runs were scored by the Capitals skipper with a four, as the team ranked second on the points table ensuring all the players and fans went home early by wrapping the win up in just 43 balls i.e 7.1 overs. But none of this pressureless batting would have been possible if not for the bowling prowess of Marizanne Kapp.
The South African wreaked havoc with a five-wicket haul as the Giants managed only 105 for 9 on what many thought was a batting pitch. It was a debut who her countrywoman and batting star Laura Wolvaardt, but it was uneventful, if not disastrous, with South Africa's T20 World Cup hero being bowled by Kapp after scoring a single run.
It was Kapp's second wicket, with the side reeling at 9/2, and from there, the batting only went downhill. She bagged the first four wickets of the Gujarat batting line-up, getting Harleen Deol (20) and Ashleigh Gardner for a Golden Duck. In her final over, she dismissed Sushma Verma (2) to complete a five-wicket haul.
The veteran pacer was ably supported by her team's spinners. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav returned with figures of 4-0-19-1, while Minnu Mani gave away just 18 runs in her three overs and Australia’s Jess Jonassen conceded 19 runs from her four overs.
Shikha Pandey took the remaining three wickets in her four overs.
Among the Gujarat batters, Kim Garth tried to effect a fightback with an unbeaten 32, off 37 balls to take Gujarat post the 100-run mark, which initially seemed impossible.
But all it did was delay the inevitable, with the Capitals, or more specifically Lanning and Shafali, taking the game to their opponents.
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(With PTI Inputs)
