Current Match Report – DC Girls vs MI Girls 1st Match 2023/24

Mumbai Indians 173 for six (Bhatia 57, Harmanpreet 55, Capsey 2-23, Reddy 2-27) beat Delhi Capitals 171 for five (Capsey 75, Rodrigues 42, Sciver-Brunt 2-33) by 4 wickets

The opening night of the second season of the Girls’s Premier League ended prefer it began – in a blockbuster style.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians gained a last-ball thriller by 4 wickets to kickstart their title defence in Bengaluru. A movie-like ending – after the sport swung a method after which the opposite – was solely apt after a gap ceremony headlined by the who’s-who of Bollywood.

Bhatia powers Mumbai’s chase

Bhatia lofted her over mid-off earlier than getting a thick exterior edge previous the wicketkeeper. She then hit a brief supply over deep midwicket as Mumbai raced to 50 for 1 after six overs.

Arundhati Reddy struck along with her first ball for Capitals, yorking Nat Sciver-Brunt with an inswinging slower one, however Bhatia powered on. She introduced up her fifty off 35 balls and appeared set to bat via the chase. However she discovered Kapp at deep midwicket when she heaved throughout the road at one other slower one from Reddy.

Harmanpreet takes over

Harmanpreet acquired off the mark with a crisp cowl drive first ball. She rotated strike and located boundaries repeatedly even after Bhatia holed out. The tempo of Sutherland and Kapp, because the chase acquired tighter, helped her. She hit an enormous six over long-on to convey up a 32-ball fifty. It appeared like we would seen it earlier than – she had struck a half-century in a profitable chase within the opening recreation of WPL 2023, too.

However Mumbai’s chase appeared to lose steam as soon as she was dismissed, earlier than Sajana did the unthinkable.

Ismail breathes hearth

Ismail then struck with the primary ball of her second over – a 118kph supply bowling Shafali Verma, who cleared her entrance leg and appeared to mow throughout the road. Capitals scored solely 26 for 1 within the powerplay, with Ismail’s figures studying 3-0-10-1. She then returned on the loss of life, the place a dropped catch denied her the wicket of a set Capsey.

C for Capitals, C for Capsey

Meg Lanning and Capsey had rebuilt Capitals’ innings steadily earlier than the shackles had been damaged within the first over after the powerplay. Capsey danced all the way down to loft Amelia Kerr over further cowl earlier than Lanning did the identical to hit over mid-on. One other legspinner, debutant SB Keerthana, was taken for 13 in her solely over. When Lanning and Capsey hit a six and a 4 in Kerr’s subsequent over, Capitals had managed to attain 37 in three overs after the sphere restrictions had been lifted. One over after the timeout although, Sciver-Brunt managed to get the higher of Lanning.

Rodrigues additionally confirmed her energy by repeatedly peppering the on-side boundary. She deposited an Ismail slower one over long-on earlier than clubbing a slower bouncer from Sciver-Brunt over deep midwicket. It was the primary time since August 2019 that Rodrigues had hit multiple six in a T20 innings (the place ball-by-ball information can be found on ESPNcricinfo).

A ultimate flourish from Kapp, who hit three fours within the final over, helped Capitals end on 171. However that was not sufficient for Mumbai, who maintained their excellent file in chases within the WPL.