Devine comes clutch yet again as Giants do the double over DC
Sophie Devine (4 for 37) came clutch in the final over yet again as she defended nine runs in the final over as Gujarat Giants beat Delhi Capitals in a thrilling encounter in Vadodara. It was a sense of deja vu for both sides and for Devine as the New Zealander had successfully defended seven in the reverse fixture in Navi Mumbai. The Giants also became the first team to do the double over the Capitals in a WPL season with the three-run win.
The final over began with the Capitals needing just nine after Ash Gardner's penultimate was taken down for 29. DC managed two off the first ball before a single and a wide followed. With five required off four, Devine bowled a dot before Sneh Rana (29 off 15) holed out to deep mid-wicket. The drama continued as DC required a boundary to win but Niki Prasad (47 off 24) only managed to find the hands off long-on as the Giants completed yet another nail-biting victory to push them up to second in the points table.
Earlier, in the first over in the chase, Renuka Singh Thakur couldn't control her line and conceded 16 off the only over she bowled. Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma hit a boundary each as DC raced to 26/0 in the first two overs. Verma holed out to long-on as the Giants while Lee struggled during her 20-ball 11, and fell to Devine on the last ball off the PowerPlay even as DC moved to 51/2.
The Giants bowled five tight overs from overs 7 to 11, conceding only 31 runs and included the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues who was bowled off Devine. It began a mini-collapse as DC slipped from 82 for 2 to 100 for 6. DC still required 70 off the last 30 balls before Prasad hit two boundaries off Gardner in a 10-run over to kickstart a turnaround.
The floodgates opened when Prasad hit four boundaries in an over off Devine before Rana wrapped it up with a six to take 23 off it. The equation came down to 29 runs off two overs and Rana brought up the 50-run stand with a six off Gardner. She followed it up with two boundaries before Prasad hit a third as DC required just nine off the last over, but yet again it proved to be a step too far for the three-time finalists.
Earlier, put in to bat, Beth Mooney and Devine began well for the Giants scoring four boundaries across the first two overs. Marizanne Kapp continued to boss the PowerPlay and had Devine bowled with a nip-backer which straightened enough to have her playing all around it. Anushka Sharma and Mooney joined hands together, and the former continued to showcase her prowess on the big stage.
Anushka played some sublime shots with five boundaries across two overs, including three off Kapp. After a backfoot punch down the ground, she successfully showcased the flicks through the onside and some lofts over the covers before timing a drive through the covers as the Giants raced to 53 in the PowerPlay, the second highest PowerPlay score in Vadodara this season. The runs continued to flow off Anushka's willow as she hit Rana for successive boundaries.
Chinelle Henry put Anushka down off Shree Charani but it didn't cost DC as she holed out to deep mid-wicket off the next delivery. Kapp conceded three more fours in her final over as the Giants continued to score freely until Ashleigh Gardner holed out to Rana at long-on. Mooney moved to 50 in a calculated innings off 40 balls, but Charani got the ominous Georgia Wareham who missed a sweep shot. Wickets continued to fall as Henry removed Fulmali. It got worse for the Giants as Mooney chipped one straight to mid-off. Charani castled Kashvee Gautam to pick up her fourth as the Giants collapsed from 128 for 3 to 139 for 7.
Tanuja Kanwer then played a fine cameo (21 off 11) that consisted of three fours and a maximum to take the Giants to 174 for 9, which proved just about enough
Brief Scores: Gujarat Giants 174/9 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 58, Anushka Sharma 39; Shree Charani 4-31, Chinelle Henry 2-38) beat Delhi Capitals 171/8 in 20 overs (Niki Prasad 47, Sneh Rana 29; Sophie Devine 4-37, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 3-20) by three runs
