Delhi, India: In a Women's Premier League match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, Gujarat Giants seized crucial moments to register a thrilling 11-run victory over Meg Lanning and co. Delhi Capitals' batting let them down significantly.
Gujarat's second victory of the season came as a sweet retaliation for their earlier 10-wicket defeat. Delhi's failure to finish in the top three pushed them back.
Gujarat, defending 147, bowled exceptionally well to bowl Delhi's batting line-up out for 136 in the final over.
A game with narrow margins! The Gujarat Giants are back to winning ways and how "A splendid performance by #GG to win... https://t.co/vQQqVQZZY4 — Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) 1678987379000 Ashleigh Gardner defended her position as one of the top overseas recruits with a superb all-around performance. She hit an unbeaten 33-ball 51 and got two for 19 in 3.4 overs.
#TATAWPL | #DCvGG | @GujaratGiantsWATCH... https://t.co/rKeIXKyljk — In the Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) 1678979923000 Giants have once more jumped ahead of RCB to remain fourth in the five-team table. DC still has 8 points from six games, but GG now has 4 points from six games. In addition, the victory ensured that the Giants would continue to be eligible for the playoffs.
Delhi's batting collapsed as they chased a tricky total, dismissing seven batters for single-digit runs.
As it turned out, Kim Garth, Tanuja Kanwar, and Gardner each took a few wickets, and Gujarat skipper Sneh Rana and Harleen Deol also took a few wickets.
With their 35-run ninth-wicket partnership, Arundhati Reddy (25) and Shikha Pandey (8 not out) kept Delhi's hopes alive until the end of the game. However, Gujarat managed to pull off a favorable outcome thanks to Kim Garth (4-0-18-2) and Gardner's impressive spells.
When Delhi was just 48 runs away from victory with more than five overs remaining, Reddy and Pandey got together and batted prudently without taking any risks, but Garth ended their relationship.
Reddy, who hit 17 balls and hit four fours, missed a shot and was caught at cover when Delhi needed another 13 to win, and Gardner took Yadav's final wicket to win the game.
Delhi had a rough start, losing fast-throwing batters Shafali Verma (8), Meg Lanning (18), and Alice Capsey, who had a promising 11-ball 22 with two fours and as many sixes, in the Powerplay.
Shafali was bowled out by left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar, but Lanning played across the line and was caught by Gujarat Giants captain Sneh Rana leg before the wickets.
Capsey was run out before she could put her bat down on the ground to drag it in because Jemimah Rodrigues made a poor call for a single when there was none.
Gujarat Giants reached a total of 147/4 in their 20 overs earlier in the first half of the match thanks to half-centuries from Laura Wolvaardt (57), who replaced Beth Mooney, and Gardner (51 not out). Before that, the Giants had only managed 53/2 at halftime.
Harleen Deol once more got the start, but she was unable to turn it into a big score. She fell for a 33-ball 31 with four fours, but the Gujarat team's Wolvaardt and Gardner played well to avoid embarrassment.
Gujarat recovered from a sluggish start thanks to the overseas duo of South African Wolvaardt and Australian Gardner, who added 81 runs for the third wicket in just 53 balls.
In an innings with two halves, the right-handed Wolvaardt struggled with timing and placement, with the second half showcasing her brutal best. Wolvaardt made 57 from 45 balls, hitting six fours and a six. He also shared a slow but steady 49-run stand with Deol for the second wicket.
The Capitals and Giants met for the second time in the inaugural season of the WPL in this matchup on Thursday night.
In their previous match, Delhi defeated a team with a target of just over 100 in eight overs at the DY Patil Stadium by a massive 10-wicket margin.
