WPL 2024: Shreyanka’s Four-fer, Molineux’s Triple Strike Help RCB Bowl Out DC For Just 113
DC had a blazing start by making 61 runs in the Power-play, also the joint-highest score in the first six overs of this season and looked set to make a big total. But once the spinners came in, DC crumbled like nine pins, falling from 64/0 in seven overs to losing their all-ten wickets in just 49 runs.
Their shot selection, especially in facing straighter deliveries, and clumsy running between the wickets left a lot to be desired as Shreyanka took 4-12 to be the leading wicket-taker in the competition, followed by Sophie taking 3-20 and Asha Sobhana picking 2-14 in what was another impressive spin bowling show for RCB.
Electing to bat first, Delhi overcame a mix-up between Meg and Shafali in the opening over to have a blistering start. Shafali was the main aggressor -– slamming a brace of sixes over the bowler’s head, before Meg cleared mid-off and sliced Renuka Singh Thakur for back-to-back boundaries.
Shafali continued to deal in boundaries -– sending one down the ground for six, slicing for four more, and carving a drive over cover for another boundary. Meg then whipped a four over backward square leg for four as DC signed off from Power-play with 61/0.
Post Power-play, RCB made a powerful comeback to leave DC’s innings in tatters, thanks to left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in the eighth over. In a bid to clear a longer boundary, Shafali slog-swept straight to deep mid-wicket.
Sophie had Jemimah Rodrigues castled on sweep for a two-ball duck, before Alice Capsey was cleaned up while shaping up for a lap shot, falling for a golden duck as the left-arm spinner took three wickets in four balls. More trouble followed DC as an edgy Meg was trapped lbw by Shreyanka Patil after playing all around an off-break delivery in the 11th over.
Marizanne Kapp miscued her slog-sweep against Asha Sobhana and long-on caught the thick top edge. Jess Jonassen was next to fall, miscuing her slog off the leg-spinner, and was safely caught by Smriti Mandhana. Minnu Mani missed a paddle sweep off Shreyanka and was trapped plumb lbw.
Radha Yadav hit back-to-back boundaries to take DC past 100, but her run-out by a direct hit from Sophie in the 17th over ended the side’s prospect of getting a respectable total. Shreyanka knocked over Arundhati Reddy and had Taniyaa Bhatia caught behind by Richa Ghosh on a faint edge to end DC’s innings in 18.3 overs.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 113 all out in 18.3 overs (Shafali Verma 44, Meg Lanning 23; Shreyanka Patil 4-12, Sophie Molineux 3-20) against Royal Challengers Bangalore